Seals are Easy, People are Hard
by slythefoxx2
Summary: Naruto's reaction to his isolation is different from canon. How will Konoha deal with a Seal Master Jinchuuriki with muted affect and a perverted streak a mile wide?
1. Chapter 1

**I don't own Naruto.**

* * *

Naruto Uzumaki had a problem. He realized this early in life. Everyone seemed to speak in some code he simply couldn't understand, not fully. Like there were nuances or something he just couldn't grasp. People made no sense to him. And yet, they fascinated him. He watched people a lot to see if he could find a pattern and while he sometimes thought he did, it was never as consistent as he'd like it to be. Confounding people were.

What made matters worse is that these people, for a reason he hadn't always known, simply didn't like him. When he was seven he asked a local shopkeep why he gave the young blond such dirty looks, why everyone did. Granted the Uzumaki didn't phrase it the best when he asked, "What's your deal?". The gentleman was startled that the notorious child would speak to him directly and so bluntly.

"Nothing's my deal, leave." Said the shopkeep which caused Naruto to turn his head sideways in confusion.

"Yes, there is. You dislike me but I've never done anything to you. I want to know why." This caused the man to get nervous. He'd love to tell the kid, that he didn't dislike him as he was afraid of him. He didn't think the kid was the fox but how could a small child truly contain it? What if he got hurt or upset or even died? But how can you handle being afraid of a child? Even as a civilian? Dislike, disregard and ostracization was better than feeling fear. But he couldn't say that, couldn't admit his shame. He'd die doing it so he simply brushed the small child away with his broom and closed his shop for the rest of the day. He'd drink all night, trying not to think about the unfairness of being feared and having no idea why.

Naruto asked several more people that day and got the same answer. His Oji-san told him to stop asking the people as they wouldn't say. He also said he wouldn't say. Naruto realized he was beaten but decided to extract a little sweetener if he wasn't going to get his answer, a favor from the Hokage.

Because Naruto didn't get people, if he wasn't people watching he spent much of his time either reading or playing/training in the forest. Books made sense. Nature made sense. People, Naruto would argue vehemently, did not. And it was this lack of understanding that had him, initially do so poorly in school. The young Uzumaki wasn't dumb he just didn't see the point in how the academy taught. They tell you to read a book and then present the same information to you in the same way as the book did. How is that learning? It's memorization and it bored him.

Iruka-sensei fussed at Naruto a lot to try harder. Naruto argued he would if they'd actually teach something useful. As far as Naruto was concerned what passed for explanations were pisspoor. The perfect example would be the clone jutsu. Naruto couldn't perform the clone jutsu. He knew it. Iruka-sensei knew it. His class knew it. When Naruto sought advice, he only got claptrap about lack of chakra control.

"Just improve your chakra control, Naruto."

"What does that mean?"

"The better you control your chakra the better you can perform your jutsu."

"But what does control mean? Is there a unit? How many units of chakra does the clone jutsu take?"

"You just have to feel it, Naruto."

"You've been an utter disappointment." The unknowing Jinchuuriki said and Iruka watched the eight year old walk out of his classroom. Naruto would face similar trials. His taijutsu was ok but limited because he didn't have a training partner and developed bad habits because of it. The skills he could develop without help were some of the better of the class, not the top but not middle of the pack either.

An eight year old Naruto had planned to resign himself to being a stranger in a strange land for forever, to never fully understand people or their things. Until, one day Iruka-sensei gave a brief demonstration of basic fuinjutsu. The blond was instantly hooked. He couldn't explain it but it just made sense, the symbols and how they flowed and the end product. He wanted, no needed to learn that art. He even called in his favor from Oji-san to do so.

"Now, Naruto, you must be extremely careful with even the basics of fuinjutsu and your calligraphy must be perfect. If I see you being irresponsible I will take your materials away until you mature."

"Define irresponsible, Oji-san."

"Attempting things you haven't properly prepared for, rushing through the levels when you have firmed up your skills."

"What if I demonstrate the required skills through some sort of project or test before I move to another level?" Naruto asked.

"That would be sufficient."

"Then we have an accord." The blond said, reaching out hand. The aged Hokage smiled as he shook it. Naruto had a slightly elevated speech pattern as refined his skills through reading aloud. As the subjects increased in difficulty it shaped his word selection.

"One last thing, you can't skip the academy no matter how interesting you find fuinjutsu." Hiruzen said and cackled at the boy's pout. He'd had that issue early on and knew to stipulate Naruto's continued attendance or the boy would just pursue his interests relentlessly.

The day Naruto got the ten, thousand page volumes on fuinjutsu, several guides on calligraphy, and the calligraphy set was life changing. He made steady progress for the rest of school year with his chosen topic. He'd basically forgone doing anything but the bare minimum as far as bookwork went, but still did well on the practical exercises. Iruka-sensei wasn't happy but couldn't do much as the Nara heir did the bare minimum as well.

He'd managed to make it through the first two volumes by the end of the academy year, progressing by one volume every two months. Hiruzen remained impressed. The first two volumes were the basic of basics, seal recognition, the foundational languages of seals for the first part, culminating in the storage seal. The second was an introduction in sync'd and localized reactions, i.e. explosive tags, as well as building multifaceted arrays.

Naruto got a warm feeling when his Oji-san praised him. When he asked what that meant, his Oji-san said it was likely a mixture of several emotions. That when someone was praised it made them feel proud and acknowledged, the feeling increasing when someone close to them did so sincerely.

It was the first time Naruto realized you could feel multiple emotions at once. He realized that complicated his theories on why people reacted the way they did, as he was making erroneous assumptions on their emotional state. He'd have to return to the drawing board.

When the summer break occurred, Naruto was able to make significant leaps in his sealing abilities, which lead to the increase in many of his other skills. As the summer break approached, the blond knew there were many things he wanted to get accomplished and without a plan he'd be inefficient. His Oji-san stressed the importance of efficient working habits, to maximize productivity. Naruto, trusting his Oji-san read several books on project management. He first identified his mission which was to find a means to address as many deficits in his shinobi skills as possible. First and foremost would be chakra control. In order to do this, he had to figure out why his chakra control was so bad in the first place.

He'd find his solution through seals. Volume 3 of his Fuinjutsu books was about manipulating chakra networks. This volume demonstrated how chakra suppressor, paralysis seals, shock tags and even resistance seals worked, how they connected to the chakra system and the effects on the body. The volume included a detailed diagram of the chakra system along with the placement of every tenketsu. Volume 4 included the beginnings of barrier and other security seals, include methods to detect chakra and motion. Naruto finished them the first month of his break and as they inspired him he didn't move on to any other volumes.

Naruto was determined to fix his chakra control. He experimented with twelve different designs, with dozens attempts at each, before he found a satisfactory sealing array to measure chakra. He was fortunate his Oji-san participated so he'd have a comparison. The blond was surprised when his chakra reserves were comparable to his Oji-san's and realized that was not normal. When he learned that he immediately went to the library to read up on chakra networks and it didn't take long to find that one's chakra network expanded as one aged/trained and chakra capacity expanded with it. He reasoned his network simply wasn't mature enough to handle his chakra and control exercises wouldn't fix that reality.

Naruto realized his reserves were basically flooding his network. He needed to find a way to direct the excess chakra away, find a method to expand his network so it could handle the flow of his chakra or both. As the blond sketched ideas about a supplementary chakra network he ran into a serious problem, there would be no way for him to apply this kind of seal unto himself. Another issue was the giant, complex seal found on his stomance. It wasn't until he ran to his Oji-san would he find a solution for one by discovering the other.

Hiruzen had no visible signs of distress as his favorite blond calmly inquired about the seal on his tummy. He sometimes forgot Naruto was a container, a sacrifice as he only saw his surrogate grandson. That the boy was generally low maintenance aided in that. If he asks a question, give him the information or cut a deal and Naruto would go on about his day. But the boy could be unpredictable. His early isolation made it difficult for him to express his or accurate gauge other people's emotions, He often had to verbalize how he was feeling and be told directly how others would as well.

Outside of the guilt of Naruto being affected in such a way, he simply didn't know how the boy would handle the information. He may accept it with no problem or it may overwhelm him. Hiruzen didn't want to take the chance so he did something that should have been below the God of Shinobi, he bribed the Uzumaki with a jutsu if he waited until he graduated to find out about the seal and didn't attempt to decipher it.

"I need a semi-autonomous clone. You got anything like that?"

"All corporal clones could fit that description, Naruto-kun."

"Hmm, what's the best clone jutsu?"

"Best is relative to the situation. In Ame or Kiri, the Water Clone is handy and not taxing. The Stone and Mud clones are durable."

"Are they all elemental clones?"

"..."

"Oji-san?"

"No, there is another. It is quite taxing on one's chakra."

"Chakra I have."

"True. I know I'm going to regret this but I will teach you the Shadow Clone jutsu but Naruto-kun you are to never send your clone to school for you."

"Why would I do that? Wouldn't learn anything if I did."

"The clones transmit their memories and any unused chakra back to their creator once dispelled."

"Oh… this sounds like the greatest jutsu ever invented."

"My sensei would likely be honored you think so." Hiruzen said as he ran his hand across Naruto's hair, causing the boy to smile. He likely could handle Naruto's nature so much as it mirrored Tobirama-sensei's. He'd spoke often about Tobirama to Naruto, partially to reassure the boy that he could be a great ninja even with his quirks. The two traveled to a private training ground where Naruto would learn what would be his signature jutsu while enjoying a brisk fall day with his favorite person.

* * *

It would be two weeks before the start of the winter break before Naruto completed his supplementary chakra network seal. His clones painstakingly drew it on his body, having to draw very small seals on many of his tenketsu. It was a five hour process and he was glad he'd paid attention to the meditation unit at the academy. He may have loved to read but he was still energetic and often had to run around or train before he could really dig into his materials.

The clones activated the seal and it hurt for several seconds but the pain subsided after a few minutes. Naruto sat in the lotus position and did the chakra circulation exercise. He was amazed at how much more fluid his chakra flow was, how he didn't have to fight to direct it. He could feel the artificial network aiding in guiding the chakra. He performed that for an hour before attempting the clone jutsu. His clones still weren't right but there was progress. Naruto concluded he'd still have to work on chakra control, it just wouldn't be as hard nor would the ceiling for how much control he could obtain be really, really low.

Over the break, Naruto would assign several clones, his Oji-san limited him to five, to chakra control. They'd place leaves everywhere on their bodies for as long as they could. Naruto decided to tackle another problem. He'd noticed the clan children were starting to pull ahead in taijutsu. Naruto could best most of the non-clan children but he'd struggle with all of the clan kids, except the Nara who wouldn't even try.

This was not something he was happy about. He didn't want others to do poorly but he wanted to win, to be better if not the best. His Oji-san said that was a sense of competitiveness and rivalry. He said those were fine in moderation, that if Naruto ever felt he'd do anything to win against his comrades he'd gone too far. That, trying to be the best is fine but he shouldn't look down on others or forget that ultimately they were on the same side. It was good to have a label on the emotion and to know it should have limits.

But knowing what motivated him wasn't going to fix his problem. He spoke with his Oji-san at length about it. He didn't like the academy style, it felt too stiff and basic. Oji-san chuckled and said it was basic, that was the point. He said the Academy library had access to different styles but Naruto should have a general idea of what kind of style he wanted. Naruto nodded but frowned. Learning a new style without direction would lead him to a similar problem he was having now. Naruto and his clones would think on the problem the entire night. A solution wouldn't present itself until dawn.

The difficulties of self-teaching a taijutsu style is not knowing if the kata are correct and habitualizing mistakes or gaps in form. But he had no dedicated teacher nor family to aid him. That thought caused him discomfort but he ignored it. What he needed is a method to drill perfect form into him without needing someone to watch over him. Seals were going to be the solution. If, Naruto thought, he could create a seal that could record movement it'd be a start. He could then build an array that would use those pre-recorded movements as the baseline, as Naruto worked through the kata he could have a slight shock to alert him he'd done the movement wrong. No shocks meant he did it right.

This would be a highly advanced application of many of the techniques found in security seals. It'd be difficult but Naruto was confident he could figure it out, he'd only need to find someone good enough and willing to be recorded. And while that would solve one problem, it wouldn't be enough. Perfect kata doesn't make one a perfect fighter. He would still need someone to train against.

As winter set in throughout Fire Country, Naruto started the next volume. He'd practiced his calligraphy everyday and would have his clones reread the other texts as he absorbed new information, his Oji-san requested he remind about art but wouldn't explain why. The fifth volume was an introduction to intermediate sealing theory; it included new languages, ideas about chakra and a start on log and algorithms. The volume also discussed how to translate various elements of ninjutsu into fuinjutsu, focusing mainly on infusing elements into barriers and ideas on how to suppress jutsu. It was difficult for the Uzumaki, and he had to consult many outside texts and his Oji-san but he managed to work through it in three months time, finishing right before spring.

The sixth volume was focused on application. Techniques on increasing the speed one wrote, how to write on the move. How to etch seals into hard surfaces, such as rocks or foundations, to increase their stability. The technique, called Chakra Engraving, allowed for a concentrated micro blade of chakra to be made via a conduit. Chakra etching was rare because it took a long time compared to the ink based or the materialization methods but they were longer lasting and more secure from outside influenced as it took another etching to interact with the seal. It also required a good bit of chakra control, more than the leaf sticking exercise would grant. Luckily, the volume included directions on surface and various iterations of water walking. It would take a month and many complaining, freezing clones to master all those exercises. But it was worth it in the end as Naruto had taken to using senbon to etch and would do it for fun on the weekends.

By mid May, the nine year old Uzumaki had gotten his motion capture array down. However, it would end up being a small part of his overall development. He showed his Oji-san and explained his idea. He even had the style picked out. It was Pencak Silat, a style mostly practiced by the southernmost tribes during the Warring Clans era. It was rarely practiced now but his Oji-san knew someone that was familiar with it and agreed to request the Jounin's help. Naruto met the Jounin a week after the summer break began and the man was… unusual.

"Hello, you must be the most youthful Naruto-kun?" The bowl cut, green wearing enigma shouted. Naruto was located on the Hokage's private training ground. It had several clearings, a large pond and even some rock formations but was mostly obscured by extreme tall trees.

"Hai. Although, I'm not the youngest in my class so I'm not the most youthful." Naruto answered, his Oji-san stressed the importance of being honest outside of ninja missions.

"Hahahaha, youthfulness is not about age, Naruto-kun. Even our august Hokage is alight with the flames of youth!" Gai said and then adopted a nice guy pose. Naruto wasn't taken aback by his enthusiasm, it found it interesting.

"So, a metaphor?"

"Yes, exactly!"

"Oh, ok, then. Should we get started? I don't want to take up too much of your time."

"Yosh, let's get started." Naruto put the sealing tags on any point of articulation on Gai and then activated the larger seal he had the taijutsu master stand on. He then watched, amazed, as Gai went through every kind of strike and jurus found in the discipline. Seeing the style in action reassured Naruto he'd selected correctly, it could be fast, flexible and unpredictable. It used the entire body for offense and defense while incorporating grapples and takedowns. The blond was also amazed by Gai's abilities, the man just breezed through the exercises.

Naruto was so focused on Gai he didn't even notice his Oji-san arrive along with a small monkey summons. When he got Naruto's attention, the Uzumaki was elated, his Oji-san called it, and even more so when he explained he wanted his summons to record some bukijutsu forms. Specifically for a quarterstaff, as it seemed to fit Naruto more and also for rattan sticks that were used in Escrima. Naruto wasted no time getting more seals ready for the summons, a white and gray haired male named Ubu. After Gai finished performing the training guides, Naruto thanked him and went to set Ubu up.

"He may not be able to expression it fully, but you've made him extremely happy, Gai. Thank you." Hiruzen said as he watched his summons and his surrogate grandson interact.

"It was the least I could do, Hokage-sama. And while I'm not expert, Naruto-kun seems to be something of a prodigy when it comes to fuinjutsu."

"I would have to agree. I went from worrying he'd fall out of a tree in some remote section of the village to him blowing himself up."

"Rambunctiousness is a feature of youth."

"I know, Gai, and I'd never begrudge him it. It makes him happy and he is progressing rapidly. Now, if I could only get him to apply himself in school so everyone else would know."

"Is he not doing well?"

"He does as well as he wants to do. He feels that much of the information the academy teaches is irrelevant. He argued once that if he were expected to memorize the names of the Hokage there wouldn't be so many books in the library about them."

Gai chuckled at that. "Excess of information must mean it isn't worth retaining for longer than you need it. The argument has a certain amount of logic to it."

"Oh, I know. But I don't want him walking around without common sense or basic facts so I just asked him to do it for me and he complied."

"Well, I must be off Hokage-sama but I created this exercise regimen for Naruto-kun, so he'll get the most out of his new taijutsu style."

"Thank you, again, Gai."

"My pleasure."

* * *

Gai's workout plan presented Naruto with another problem. Naruto wanted to get the most out of the routine and not push himself too hard, as he planned to use a modified resistance seal that went up percentages instead of full levels. But how could he track his progress in a precise way and chart his development? And to do so in a way that wouldn't require clones and a lot of equipment. He instructed his clones to think up a solution, all ten as his Oji-san let him increase his maximum. When he woke up the next day he was surprised by their solution. He'd need books on medical ninjutsu and genjutsu to make it work.

He decided to leave that to the clones and let them do most of the legwork. He loved working on fuinjutsu and reading new stuff but he simply felt it best to leave it to the clones while he trained his physical skills. Not just combat but also trapping and tracking, as it had been introduced during the most recent term. After applying the resistance seal, Naruto would wake up and run every morning. He'd alternate between normal and ninja running. He'd then do some stretching to increase his flexibility and some strength building exercises (various types of push ups, for example). Next, he'd roll out his seal and practice taijutsu and bukijutsu. He'd spend two hours on each, alternating days between staff and Escrima work. Except for Sundays, that would be his day of rest.

He'd hunt and forage for his lunch and take an hour break after. Then he'd practice his shuriken jutsu for an hour; he'd utilize kunai, shuriken and even senbon since he had them for etching. He'd do another round of stretching and then a cool down run before returning home for a shower and an afternoon of relaxation. That was how his summer went and besides for practicing chakra control or sparing him, his clones were dedicated to solving his latest problem. They were lucky to find what they needed at the library and the answers came from the same clan. Tsunade Senju for the medical part, Tokka Senju for the genjutsu. And Naruto was lucky as both books _Healer & Fighter: A Combat Medic's Journey _and _Forest for the Trees: Illusions and You_ included the types of jutsu Naruto needed and additional exercises and ideas to improve chakra control.

* * *

The next year went much like the previous. The ten year old Uzumaki trained and studied, making time to visit his Oji-san and have ramen from the nice Ichiraku people. He started winning, occasional, against the clan heirs and even tried a little more in the theoretical segments. It got Iruka-sensei off his back and Naruto decided that was enough of a reason to do so. The only person he couldn't beat, yet, was Uchiha Sasuke. The boy just fought like defeat was death and Naruto got the impression the last Uchiha didn't see his classmates as future comrades. His Oji-san said the boy was lonely and in pain. Naruto didn't disagree but his eyes reminded him too much of the villagers at times and Naruto didn't want to deal with him anymore than he had to.

The Uzumaki slowly made his way through volume 7. It was about linking and merging sealing arrays, how to make different arrays compatible enough to be merged or how to build the bridge if they weren't. It also focused on other methods of activation like timers or changes in weight or temperature. There were several non-chakra methods to activate seals, experts could even use emotional states to activate a seal.

Since this book included even more advanced symbols and sealing languages Naruto had to work slowly. He also didn't want to divert the attention of his clones, who were making steady progress. Slow, but steady. The school year focused more on soft shinobi skills like infiltration and information gathering. Iruka-sensei spoke about being able to adopt different persona to fool others and what went into making a believable cover story. Iruka-sensei said the henge was a good short term solution but most shinobi could see through it. That didn't sound right to Naruto and it would plant a seed in his head for his first original jutsu.

It was the middle of July under the shade of a large tree Naruto Uzumaki almost vibrated with excitement. It was finally done, he was ready to activate his creation. If one were to see Naruto they would see him staring at a bracelet of beads, black with orange symbols. Nothing really stood out about them but that was only a trick. Naruto pulsed his chakra into the first bead and felt chakra feed back into him. It lit up for one minute before the invasion of chakra stopped. Naruto then fed chakra into a second bead and then a screen of information only he could see emerged. It had his height, weight, blood type, chakra characteristics and other information provided by the most basic diagnostic jutsu.

Naruto wanted to chart his progress and knew he needed detailed information about his body to do so, that's why Tsunade's book was so important. Tokka's book allowed him to feed that information into a genjutsu like projection, one only the person attuned to the bracelet could see. Naruto then pulsed chakra into the third bead and then took off. The third bead was a modified tracking seal, it would tell Naruto how far he ran and how fast. The diagnostic bead would keep track of his vitals and oxygen levels. There were eight beads in total, one was a protection barrier he could erect at any moment. Another a compressed storage seal. Not every bead was currently marked and Naruto was just so happy he got his year long project to work.

After his workout, Naruto looked at the information provided and smiled. He had his resistance seals off and now had a baseline. He decided he was going to really push himself these last two years in order to be as prepared as he could be. Naruto ran home and took a shower. Once he was out he put on some olive cargo shorts and a blue shirt with a white spiral at the center of his chest. His clones handed him another beaded bracelet and he slipped on his blue sandals before darting toward the Hokage Tower. Because he didn't have his resistance seals reactivated Naruto managed to move at an impressive speed.

He followed proper etiquette and was granted access to his Oji-san. The Sandaime was curious what had Naruto so excited and became even more so when the boy handed him a bracelet and commanded he put it on. Hiruzen did, trusting the boy.

"Oji-san, I got it to work. My project. I even engraved it myself so I made you one."

"What does it do, Naruto-kun?"

"You have to sync it to your chakra so no one else can use it. Then pulse it into those three beads. Then you'll see what it can do, just don't fight it." Hiruzen quirked his eyebrow but did as the boy said. He felt the chakra invade his system but knew it was his own so he was confused. Once it stopped, he repeated the process and felt another invasion and then saw his own vitals. He dismissed the view and activated the other beads, a storage seal and a tracking one meant to chart progress from training. The Hokage was near speechless.

"I-I'm so proud of you, Naruto. This is amazing." Naruto felt a familiar warmth bloom in his chest and it intensified when his Oji-san hugged him. He liked it.

* * *

For the next two years on a few things of note occurred for the Uzumaki. The first was making his first friend. It happened while he was training, he heard someone making noise and went to check it out. It was his classmate, Hyuuga Hinata and she was crying. They'd never really interacted before, outside of a him stepping in when she was getting bullied once. He didn't even know she was getting bullied, she just looked pained by what the boys were doing and wanted to understand why they were doing it. They were weirded out by his questions and left. He just shrugged and left as well.

His Oji-san once mentioned people sometimes like to be held or hugged when they cry. He said he did it with his grandson Konohamaru when he was a baby. Naruto figured if it were good enough for him it might work so he sat beside her and put one arm around her. She flinched, startled someone would touch or comfort her.

"Are you ok?" Naruto asked and the question surprised her. He was honestly asking, as if he truly didn't know the answer to the question. She shook her head "no" as she tried to gather herself. "May I ask what happened? My Oji-san says talking helps."

"I'm a failure."

"Oh, in what way?"

"As an heiress, in my family arts. My father doesn't find me suitable."

"Is he right?" Naruto asked and Hinata flinched again. He was confused. To fail would seemingly be pretty objective. He wondered if she were given nebulous parameters.

"Hai" she whispered lowly, wanting to curl in on herself.

"Then change it." He said neutrally. Normally, one would feel judged but Naruto said it so blankly Hinata was more confused than offended. "If you failed then there is a standard. You have to find out why you don't meet the standard and then create a plan to achieve your goal. It's how I started challenging the clan heirs when we sparred."

"I'm not strong like you, Naruto-kun." She'd seen the boy's improvements over their time at the academy and it seemed to be continuous.

"No, I don't imagine you would be." he said and she felt her heart ache. "You're strong like Hinata. So, you should build on that, not try to emulate some else." She chuckled when he nodded his head, sagely, after his words. "I train everyday and I don't know if you'd be interested but if you want to join me sometime and spar or whatever I'd do that."

"Why?"

"My Oji-san said we're all comrades and should be willing to help each other. Also, I don't know why but I don't like seeing people sad, it feels wrong. Also, failing at something is just a chance to succeed next time. I fail a lot because I try a lot."

"S-so, you're a proud failure?"

Naruto smiled, "I think I like that." Just as he finished he saw a kunoichi, appear before them. She had black, wavy hair, red eyes and a bandage dress. Naruto could only come to one conclusion, one he spoke with zero shame, "You're uncommonly attractive." The yet unidentified woman only smiled at the boy's forwardness. She'd heard about the Uzumaki and knew he meant nothing by it, only that it was true to him.

"Thank you, Uzumaki-kun but some women might get offended if you compliment them so boldly without knowing their names, at least."

"So, introduce ourselves and then tell you?"

"Hmm, maybe. It depends. Besides, if word gets around you call women attractive and you don't do it for some, they'll be offended."

"So, some will be offended if I do and others if I don't? This is confusing. I'm going to have to ask Oji-san about this. Well, I need to go, I'll see you around Hinata."

"Bye, Naruto-kun."

"Hinata," Kurenai started. "What your father said, it isn't true-"

"Yes, it is. But it doesn't have to stay that way."

After that day, the two trained together three times a week and because each other's best friends. Naruto was always honest with Hinata, willing to help her overcome any problem she identified and believed she could succeed. He could be blunt and awkward but she simply learned to speak his language. He had his own form of kindness and caring. Naruto got a different perspective on emotions and why people act the way they do. He'd never heard of shyness before Hinata, for instance. She also helped him with the ethics of creating and performing the sexy jutsu.

The second significant thing is Naruto completed the other three fuinjutsu volumes. Volume 8 was on juinjutsu. How to create them, how to counter them. It also included how to expand and condense arrays, how to see full arrays without activating the seals and methods of seal concealment and cloaking. Volume 9 was about space-time fuinjutsu/ninjutsu. Mostly it covered summoning and advancing storage seals to create stable pocket dimensions but it lead to Naruto's next project and the third significant thing. Volume 10 was about materialization as well learning to create complex seals on the fly from all the elements that had been covered. This Volume really leaned on the creative aspect of sealing, how all the languages, symbols and other information was the same. It was up to the fuinjutsu user to make it something unique.

His Oji-san was so proud of Naruto for completing all the volumes and he promised he'd get Naruto certified as a sealing master as soon as he graduated. The tests Naruto had to take were the official tests but he couldn't certify the results until Naruto was a shinobi. Naruto was hesitant, Hinata explained that one to him, as he saw how happy his Oji-san was but he had to ask the question. It startled the Sandaime so much he asked Naruto to repeat it.

"Is Yondaime-sama my father, Oji-san?"

"Yes." Hiruzen knew he could have lied but lying would have risked their relationship, he decided to trust Naruto instead. "I didn't tell you because your father had so many enemies, Naruto-kun and they would love nothing more than to get revenge by hurting you. I'm sorry I had to keep that knowledge from you."

"Did my mom and he, did they love me?"

"So very much. You'd never seen two people more excited about being parents. They'd be so proud of you, Naruto-kun. Both were masters of fuinjutsu and would be delighted you continued your clan's specialty."

"I'm an actual Uzumaki?"

"Yes. Kushina Uzumaki was your mother." Hiruzen watched as Naruto processed the information. He shifted through several faces and Hiruzen felt the need to ask, "Naruto-kun, how are you feeling?"

"I-I don't know. Like I miss something I never had."

"Wistful, Naruto-kun. It means yearning or longing, that's what you're feeling."

"Oh. I don't think I like it. I think it's making me sad and I don't like that either."

Hiruzen went and hugged his grandson. "I know, my boy, I know. But even negative emotions should be felt as they are a part of you and can help you grow. It shows even if they were taken from you so early, you three were bonded and that goes beyond life and death. Don't let your emotions control you but don't deny them either. They make you human, they make you real." He felt the boy nod his head against his chest as he rubbed his back soothingly.

The two would speak about his parents, Naruto enraptured by the details. Hiruzen promised to start funneling his inheritance to him as soon as he opened up an account at a shinobi bank but made it clear Naruto was to tell no one until he was at least a Chunin but preferably a seasoned Jounin. Naruto agreed and they party company, the boy seeming lighter.

The final significant event was Naruto learning what he contained. It felt weird, knowing what so many people were afraid of, that he and the seal couldn't really hold back the Kyuubi. It also felt weird knowing his dad did it and his mom was once a Jinchuuriki, the term his Oji-san used. Oji-san said there was little choice and it would have been dishonorable to select another child. He said no one knew of Naruto's status until the age of three and he promised if he ever discovered who leaked it he'd murder them where they stood. Naruto told him it was ok, it was good to know. He didn't feel much in the way of negativity. The people hadn't been very welcoming but there wasn't much to do. Besides, he had Oji-san and Hinata and even Yuhi-san. That proved he could make connections. So, that's what he'd do.

* * *

As Naruto sat beside Hinata, reminiscing about the last several years he barely noticed Hinata take a seat beside him. He smiled at his friend, acknowledging her arrival and she smiled back. Hinata had changed over the last two years. She was still quiet and reserved but not as shy or insecure. They had fought and struggled but gained a sense of confidence in herself. She realized there was no magic to improving oneself. It was just hard work. And while she may have been easily discouraged in the past, she was not afraid of hard work; she just had to realize there wasn't some personality trait she was lacking. Everyday she, with the help of her friend and her caretaker, she pushed herself. The developments hadn't gone unnoticed within her clan, even if her father hadn't recanted his previous statements about her overall worth.

"Hi, Naruto-kun." she said. The Hyuuga heiress was wearing a two tone lavender jacket, blue pants with matching sandals. She wore her headband around her neck and her hair was to her shoulder blades.

"Good morning, Hinata." Naruto said. He'd also allowed his hair to grow out, the spikes staying as prevalent as before, two framing his face and hanging over his headband. He wore an orange and black jacket with a red Uzumaki spiral on the back. His paints were black as well were his sandals, those coming up to his shins. Naruto still wore his beaded bracelet at all times. Hinata wore hers as well, the beads an indigo color with white irises patterned throughout. He'd given her the collect of seals six months ago as a token of their friendship and she treated it like the most precious of jewels.

After the brief greeting the two sat in silence, observing the classroom and waiting patiently. Their silence was ruined by two newly minted kunoichi charging in, arguing about who would sit next to Uchiha Sasuke. The two continued on until Iruka-sensei yelled at them to take a seat. They did but not before Sakura glared at him and Ino winked at him. Naruto simply waved back, really not understanding why Sakuran-san was so mad at him.

Soon after he turned twelve he told Sakura, Ino and Hinata that once they all reached sexual maturity he would be willing to engage in sexual acts with them as they'd likely be very attractive. He didn't think it was a big deal since it was four years away. Sakura-san freaked out and tried to hit him, which she failed to do. Ino laughed and said he was much too forward. Hinata blushed and explained it was indecent to make such an offer with girls he barely knew. He ahh'd and never brought it up again but Sakura-san has had a sincere dislike of him ever since.

"Now, I will announce your teams, do not interrupt me." Iruka-sensei said and began listing the teams.

Some distance away, Hiruzen shepherded Kakashi through Naruto's apartment. It was a decent sized apartment for a child. A living room with a red couch and chair. A coffee table and television. There was also a desk in the corner with books stacked on it. There was also a weapons stand containing a wood quarterstaff and two rattans.

The kitchenette had a standard two sided sink, stove/oven, and shelf space above and below the counters. Kakashi rummaged through the shelves and the fridge. He was mildly surprised at what he found, fruits, vegetables, nuts and recently hunted game. Dairy products as well. The cabinets had instant ramen and granola along with necessary pantry items to cook.

"Not what I'd expect from a lifelong orphan."

"He asked me to teach him how to shop when he read a book about shinobi diets."

"Hm. Why did you need to come along with me, Hokage-sama?"

"You wouldn't have gotten in otherwise." Hiruzen said and saw Kakashi's disbelief. "He's finished all ten of the fuinjutsu volumes. Tested and passed each exam. He's a certified Seal Master." The dog summoner hid his shock well. "Do you understand what I'm telling you, Kakashi?"

"Hai. Even if he should fail the test he has to be a shinobi. Too much potential not to."

"Yes. Also, he knows about his parents and very likely knows or will know you were his father's student."

"Great. Anything else I should know?"

"You know about how he processes and shows his emotions, yes?" The Jounin nodded. "Then, that should be enough to go on.

"Ok, I should have enough to go on. I will depart, Hokage-sama." Hiruzen nodded and Kakashi left. Hiruzen did as well and felt the security measures return as soon as he closed the door. He took one last look at the door and hoped he'd made the right decision. As Naruto was in the top ten of the class he shouldn't be on Kakashi's team but he felt he owed the young Jounin. Hiruzen hoped he hadn't done right by one party only to do wrong by another and dreaded the reality that only time could tell.

* * *

Kakashi arrived to the training ground and expected all three of his potential students to be hungry and irate. Two were, though only the girl voiced her displeasure. 'So much for the shinobi rules.' Kakashi thought. The blond was fine. Which could only mean one thing.

"You ate, didn't you?"

"Hai."

"Even though it went against my orders?"

"Bad orders, Hatake-san." Kakashi simply eye smiled, then retrieved two bells from his pocket.

"You have one hour to obtain these bells. The one who doesn't gets sent back to the Academy."

'How is there a 2/3rd's fail rate if two of us can get the bells?' Naruto wondered. The others likely would have as well if not hungry and anxious. 'Something isn't right here.'

"You may begin." Stated Kakashi after setting the timer and two of them went to hide. The one remaining was the Uzumaki, his face neutral.

"Shouldn't you be hiding?"

"No, from the Shinobi tactics book I've read hiding is unsound. You have what we want, you have no reason to pursue us. Our inaction benefits you. And as we had no agreed upon plan or even rendezvous point, the other two didn't retreat with the goal of working with me or each other."

"Hm." The Copy Ninja said but he couldn't disagree. While he would go after them, if this were a real life situation he'd have no reason to do so. He pulled out his book to read, hoping to get a rise out of the blond specifically, or one of the others. It didn't work. To his confusion, the chibi Yondaime threw a purse of ryo coins at him.

"Jounin Hatake Kakashi-san, I would like to enter negotiations for your services."

"Oh, and what would you like me to do?"

"A retrieval mission."

"When?"

"Now."

"Can't, busy."

"Can I have a bell?"

"No, sorry. If you want one you'll have to take it." Sasuke and Sakura both thought Naruto was an idiot for trying to bribe their sensei and avoid putting forth any effort. They saw Naruto touch one of his beads and then kunai and shuriken started coming from nowhere, all aimed at Kakashi-sensei. Kakashi saw the weapons and decided to perform a quick substitution but as soon as he gathered the chakra it dispersed and he felt himself go rigid. The projectiles passed right through him, they were simple clones. He saw the blond rub his chest.

"Pleased. I think this is pleased. Hatake Kakashi-san, please give me the parameters of the real test." Kakashi said nothing but inwardly was impressed.

"The bells are clearly for the taking, Naruto-kun."

"Hai. They are also a decoy, at least to some extent. Now, please explain."

"Sorry, no can do."

"I could beat you until you did."

"Trust me, kid, you don't have the skills nor the time to break me."

"Yea, I figured as much. Must be teamwork then. Since the state objective is false. You clearly aren't testing us on ruthlessness. Also two bells but two will fail? The math doesn't shake out."

"Well done, Naruto. You want to release me?"

"Not until Sasuke and Sakura grab the bells." When Naruto said that his teammates came from their hiding spots and did exactly that. Naruto ended the seal and Kakashi could feel his chakra flowing again.

"How did you do it, Naruto?"

"It was smart staying here so late but 2:30am simply wasn't late enough. I prepped the field after you left."

"How did you trigger it, you didn't emit any chakra."

"Didn't need chakra." Naruto said and Kakashi thought quickly, reaching the conclusion at speeds only geniuses could. He realized Naruto used a pressure trigger, the coins was likely to make up for Naruto not knowing his specific weight. The chakra for the substitution was the final activation. Kakashi had been led around by the nose, by a fresh from the academy genin. That was embarrassing.

"Well, you are team for a probationary period."

"Why a probationary period?" Sasuke asked.

"Naruto broke the test. You know what to do so there would be no point in retesting you. Be back here tomorrow at 7 am sharp," Kakashi said, shunshining away afterward.

"Way to go, idiot."

"Yea, thanks, dummy."

"I'd prefer you not insult me. I don't like it. Besides, neither of you knew the secret of the test and I have no reason to assume you would have figured it out. I will see you tomorrow." Naruto said and then departed. Neither Sasuke nor Sakura could argue with his statements. Kakashi arrived to the Sandaime's office, being granted immediate entry. When he walked in he saw a room full of Jounin and the Sandaime all smirking at him. He then saw the crystal ball on the Sandaime's desk and slouched.

"Team 7, provisional pass." he said and everyone started laughing. It would be a long time before the Copy Ninja lived down getting subdued by a brat.

* * *

So, this came from the idea of Naruto creating a shinobi fitbit. Consider this the Seals are easy People are Hard challenge. I may return to this but it's up for grabs as well. Rules:

 **NARU/HINA though harems are allowed. No more than four members.**

 **Hiruzen and Orochimaru must die at the end of the Suna/Oto invasion.**

 **Naruto is a pervert but doesn't realize it. He'll be confused as to why Jiraiya is considered a Super Pervert but so bad at it.**

 **Yami Naruto has to be met at some point and can't straightforwardly be Naruto's negative emotions. Get creative.**

 **No Civilian/Shinobi council. Just the Hokage and the advisors.**

 **Bijuu aren't demons, Naruto won't get any tails. Kurama is just Kurama.**


	2. Chapter 2

Kakashi Hatake had been regarded as a prodigy, a genius for the majority of his life. Many assumed that made him arrogant but he'd lost far too much in his life, failed too many times to ever buy into his own hype. He wasn't without pride, however, and his Yondaime chibi stomped all over it as if their roles were reversed. Currently, he was siping at some sake at the Rusty Kunai with some fellow Jounin. His debrief had been short, the Sandaime had been entirely too satisfied that his surrogate grandson managed to beat the bell test. Three generations previous hadn't managed it. Kakashi had even said as much. The Sandaime merely chuckled and agreed with the provisional promotion. It didn't affect much but if there were any major problems he could demote the other two.

"He would have gotten any of us," Kurenai said to the Copy Ninja. She could empathize, she'd fallen into one of Naruto's well crafted traps before. She was lucky the only witness had been Hinata. "Uzumaki-kun is a prodigy."

"So is the Uchiha, so was the Hyuuga last year. They still couldn't have beaten the bell test." Asuma observed and Kakashi shook his head at the man's shortsightedness. Even Kurenai had a bit of a scowl.

"Neither of them are masters at their craft, either. The name has lost meaning as everyone that can scribble a half decent explosive tag calls themselves Seal Masters but Naruto is the real thing. Sandaime-sama told me as much but I gave the kid time to plan and free rein over the field of battle. I assumed he wouldn't forgo a night's rest or have enough time in the morning to trap the place."

Kurenai assumed Naruto likely used shadow clones and hadn't sacrificed any sleep but if the blond hadn't revealed the technique yet she wouldn't out him. Besides, Kakashi would need to test their actual skills anyway. She smiled, wondering how many problems Naruto would give Kakashi. The notorious lazy Jounin was in for some interesting times.

* * *

After the test and the poor responses from his teammates the blond Uzumaki decided to walk around for a bit. He liked making plans while he walked. The training grounds weren't like the forests he'd play in as a child but they were close enough to give him a similar feel. Now that he was a recognized Seal Master it was time for him to pick a specialization or two. Being a master didn't mean he knew all there was to know, that was impossible. But he knew enough that no subfield should be beyond his grasp with dedication and he was at a sufficient level to truly contribute to the field, offer something unique.

From what his Oji-san gave him, his parents had pretty divergent interests though it also showed him in a strictly fuinjutsu fight his mom would paste his dad. Why did he think that? Surely the power of the _Hiraishin_ could overcome anything she'd do, right? Wrong. His mom specialized in barriers. In, "I now control all around you fear me mortal" type barriers. She'd even had the designs for one that could neutralize space-time techniques. He was happy his Oji-san gave him their notes and work. They'd stored copies in the Hokage vault as they wanted the knowledge to live on and for future Hokage to gift those worthy with their knowledge.

Naruto would certainly learn from his parents, with his shadow clones he had no reason not to. But he wouldn't claim their areas as his primary specialization. While he was impressed, if not awed by his parents and what they could do, his Oji-san had always been his hero. And the longest serving Hokage always wanted to protect his people to the best of his ability. Naruto wanted that as well and the series of beads on his left wrist would be the foundation. He'd never give anyone but his closest friends and family those seals but he could build on them. Naruto wanted to be the first fuinjutsu systems specialist.

He wanted to eliminate the reliance on carrier pigeons, on paper files. On things that could be stole or interfered with. Instead, information would be access by chakra and or biometrics, the information only seen directly by those with access. Distress calls immediately relayed to the Hokage, amended orders sent back just as fast. It would revolutionize information storage and transmission. Infiltration and espionage would evolve as well. If it worked, Konoha would be safer.

The Uzumaki decided he'd start on the communication parts first. Some segments of it would be easy, a shared mass storage scroll that could transport items is something he's already done. It was a matter of perfecting seals that could project sound waves, internal thoughts, or displays that could transmit the written word that would be difficult. There was issues of formatting, stability and even range. It would not be fast, even as his Oji-san had doubled his maximum clone usage again but it would be worth it.

Naruto was so lost in thought he didn't realize he'd stumbled upon someone else's training grounds until he heard the booming voice.

"MOST YOUTHFUL NARUTO-KUN, GOODDAY!" the three genin of Maito Gai were surprised when the blond didn't even flinch but responded calmly.

"Hello, Gai-san." he then looked around. "Have I interrupted your training? If so, I apologize. Allow me to exit."

"Hold on, you're that kid!" Tenten shouted, surprising everyone as she rarely raised her voice.

"Oh, Tenten-san, hello." Naruto said with a small smile.

"Don't just say hello to me after what you did!" she yelled back.

"What did he do, Tenten?" Lee inquired, hoping it wasn't something unyouthful.

"He offered to have sex with me!" This confused the males of Team Gai.

"Once we reached sexual maturity. You're very pretty now, I imagine you'll be even more so in a few years. I didn't realize it was indelicate to offer until my friend, Hinata, told me it was. I apologize for the offense." Naruto said, and then giving a short bow.

"You apologize for the offense but not the offer?" Tenten asked in confusion.

"No, I'll still sleep with you once we're older. I'll just present it more appropriately in the future." He said with a nod. Hinata once remarked that it isn't always what you say but how you say it, presentation of an idea or sentiment matters and if done incorrectly people will overlook your intention.

Tenten could only stare at the little pervert in confusion. He was so honest and respectful about everything he said she felt odd getting overly mad about it. Besides, it was something of a compliment and he had intended on it being years in the future. She just couldn't wrap her head around all of his but she saw her sensei signing he'd talk to her about it later.

"You know my failure of a cousin?" Neji asked.

"Yes." the boy responded neutrally.

"So, you agree that she's a failure and will always be one."

"I would hope so." Naruto said. The boy looked confused at Naruto's words.

"You don't have to hope, it is her fate. The gifted and the failures are chosen at birth, though I am curious as to why you'd wish such a fate on her." Neji had no real opinion of the Uzumaki. He'd seen him around but never spoken to him feeling that anyone that chose to spend time with Hinata must be as useless as she but he'd heard the boy was favored by the Sandaime and even Hiashi-sama seemed to respect him so he was ambivalent.

"Failure in practice allows for growth. My Oji-san said you learn very little from always doing something correctly, innovation often emerges out of one learning from their mistakes. Besides, isn't the point of training to push past your limitations?"

"It doesn't matter how hard she tries, she will never amount to anything. It has been decided." Naruto considered the boy, his blue, emotionless eyes staring into the Hyuuga's own. Naruto was silent for several moments and then responded.

"This has no basis in empiricism." and then turned and walked away. Once Neji digested the blond's words he became red with anger but would have felt like a fool to yell at someone walking away from him. It was not what a proud Hyuuga would do. He promised to school the rookie on the ways of fate sometime soon.

"What the absolute hell?" spoke Lee, no youthfulness in his voice. He was too confused to be youthful. Never had he seen someone dismiss Neji like that, nor hit on Tenten. Who was that guy?

"That was Uzumaki Naruto-kun. Newly minted genin. He's had a difficult life and it resulted in him having a unique way of understanding things. From what I understand, Tenten-chan, he truly meant no offense."

"Maybe not but he's still a little pervert."

"Probably." Gai said with an unyouthful shrug.

Naruto gave no greater thought to his run in with Team Gai as he ran to the Shinobi Archives. The building was quite plan, looking like many other in the village. He entered the doors and traveled through the foyers until he reached a staircase. He traveled down into the bottoms of the building and traversed another hallway until he came to a set of double doors that were locked. A seal was located on the left side of the door frame, which Naruto put his hand on and pulsed his chakra. The doors opened and he was greeted by the resident archivist for the fuinjutsu section.

The room beyond the doors lead to several hallways, some only accessible by the archivist herself. The walls were eggshell and the lightning gave the feel of sterile hospital rooms.

"Good afternoon, Naruto-sama." Kaoru said. Kaoru was a middle aged woman of average height and build. She had black hair with streaks of gray strewn throughout. She wore a standard Chunin outfit of a blue shirt, green vest and blue pants. Her shoes were open toed with a slight heel. Officially, she was a career Chunin but she was actual a long serving ANBU that was selected to guard some of Konoha's most valuable knowledge instead of outright retiring.

Naruto squinted and turned his head to the side, he'd never been called 'sama' before. Only his Oji-san, Hinata, and Ayame-san called him kun so this was a bit confusing for the blond and Kaoru picked up on that.

"I call you 'sama' because Seal Masters are highly regarded in Konoha. This goes back to our alliance with the Uzumaki Clan and has only increased with their destruction. Many in the know will have great respect for what you've managed to accomplish, Naruto-sama."

"Oh. Um." He said but hesitated.

"Yes?"

"I don't know, I normally ask my Oji-san about this stuff. I don't mind you calling me 'sama' but I also wouldn't mind you not calling me that. Does that make sense?"

"Hai. Some people aren't much for formality. It may be that. Or you may not feel you've earned the honorific. Both are possible. Do you have a preference for what I call you?" the archivist asked and Naruto gave it a moment to think.

"No, whatever you are comfortable with."

"I will keep that in mind, now what can I do for you today, Naruto-sama?"

"Oji-san said it would be ok for me to leave clones here to study and I would like to do that now."

"He has informed me of this, yes. What would you like for me to pull for you today?"

"Space-Time fuinjutsu."

"I will get right on that. There is a private room just down that hallway," Kaoru pointed to the hallway to her left, "and to the right. I will bring the materials right along."

"Thank you, Kaoru-san." His Oji-san had told him who would be helping him so there was no need for formal introductions. The archivist nodded and walked to the hallway behind her. Naruto summoned fifteen clones and had them go to the room as directed. He then made his way to exit. He had a few other things he wanted to do today and trusted his clones would be diligent in their pursuits. Naruto made his way up the stairwell, this time going up the second floor. He entered the door to what was the Genin part of the Shinobi archives. This exchange was much faster, he'd already put in his request for what he wanted.

While a part of Naruto wanted to learn more ninjutsu, only having one additional to the Academy three, he thought he should wait to see what his Sensei was going to teach the team. Hatake-sensei was the Copy Ninja, surely he'd leave them with a solid assortment of ninjutsu. However, there was one such jutsu that was necessary as he'd have to travel across the village at a moment's notice. That is why his Oji-san cleared him to learn the shunshin. When he was told he felt excited and told his Oji-san as much. The kind Hokage smiled and said young ninja often enjoy learning new jutsu, it was normal.

The second item was a book from Naori Uchiha called, _Truth of Illusions_. He'd read and reread Toka Senju's book and a few other guides available to academy students, though all were less helpful than the Senju's tome. He was hoping this book with further increase his knowledge of the illusionary arts and Yin release. Naruto reasoned that his information transmission seals would have to be good at utilizing Yin release as it was chakra formed, or coded, to deliver information. He'd done well thus far with his fuin beads but he would need to get better to do more.

There was also the reality that anyone the least bit chakra sensitive could tell he had a lot of it. He hadn't learned to repress it much, just enough to not alert the animals he hunted. But that would be his trick, if people felt his chakra they would never assume he could perform genjutsu and by the time they realized it it'd be too late. His Oji-san once said deception is a game of layers within levels. A shinobi should be slow to assume but quick to verify and Naruto Uzumaki would not be an average shinobi.

While Naruto had spent time with Yuhi-san during his joint training with Hinata, it felt wrong to lean on her expertise as she was contracted to aid Hinata, not him. He also had nothing to trade, or so he felt and wouldn't initiate a transaction on those terms. When he started taking missions he hoped to get a moment of her time then, when she was free.

He got his materials and left the building, intent on getting some lunch. He'd cracked open his book, reading as he walk. He'd managed to avoid most obstacles but, unfortunately, another distracted individual crossed his path and toppled over Naruto as she was moving quite fast. He was startled by being crashed into by a much taller person, the book pressed against his face so he couldn't see anything. Swiftly he was yanked up and back on his feet.

"Shit! Sorry, gaki, I didn't see you there." The woman said. Now that Naruto could see her, he didn't mind her being on top of him so much. She had purple hair, tied in a ponytail, a tan trench coat covering a mess shirt and orange skirt, held up by a blue belt. She was very appealing, though Naruto made sure not to say as much, however he didn't need to. Anko noticed him checking her out.

"Like what you see, gaki?"

"Yes. You're very appealing." He didn't offer it, she asked so he didn't go against Yuhi-san's advice.

"Aww, do you have a crush on Anko-chan? You're a little young for me, stud."

"Crush? As in infatuation? Not currently, Anko-san. And as you said, our age differences would be untenable now. However, I do reach sexual maturity in roughly four years and from my understanding relationships with significant age gaps are not frowned upon under those conditions. Should I develop a 'crush' then it would follow I'd pursue you, if you desired as such."

Anko looked at the boy, wondering if he was serious or being funny. His face showed no signs of deception, he was almost too sincere but unaffected by her teasing. She was not used to this. Not at all.

"Four years is a lifetime for shinobi but I tell you what, if you grow up real nice and strong I'll consider it." Anko finished with a wink. She was not expecting the gaki to hold out his hand as if he wanted her to shake it.

"I believe those conditions are reasonable and feel we've reached an accord."

Anko took his hand, too off guard by the kid's manner. "Uh, sure." They ended the hand shake and started toward their respective destinations before the gaki called out again.

"Oh, could I draw you sometime?" Sketching had become another hobby. After reading so much about art he got tired of being passive. When he showed his Oji-san some of his earlier work, looking for criticism or tips to improve, he was provided with it. It was weird, his Oji-san had a small, crooked smile the entire time but wouldn't tell Naruto why.

"Trying to get me nude already?" Anko shot back.

"Only if you want but it can't be a mission. Oji-san was pretty explicit about that. Delayed my sexy jutsu because of it."

"Wha?... This exchange is starting to hurt my brain, gaki. I'll see you around about the art project, ok?"

"Sure. The name is Uzumaki Naruto, by the way."

"I know, gaki." She said and shunshin'd away.

Naruto wasn't surprised she knew, people tended to know who and what he was. Shrugging off the interaction, Naruto went to Ichiraku for lunch and indulged in several bowls of ramen of various types. Feeling sated and leaving a generous tip and sincere thanks, Naruto departed to his next destination, Yamanaka flowers. As he entered, he saw the clan head behind the counter.

"Good af- Uzumaki," he said tersely.

"Hello, Yamanaka-san. I am here to purchase a plant."

"Oh, trying to seduce someone else's daughter?"

"No, sir. I've not been giving any orders to seduce anyone. I'll likely be a Chunin before then."

Inoichi knew of Naruto's condition and had studied it for years. It was hard weighing that knowledge with his overprotective father instincts kicking in. What was worse is he didn't know if the kid was oblivious to why he'd be cross with him or just couldn't give a shit. The mental jutsu specialist was about to respond again but was stopped by another entering his shop.

"Hi, dad." Ino said her back to operator and patron as she'd opened the door with her back. When she turned to face her father she noticed the blond Uzumaki in attendance. "And hello, Naruto-kun." Inoichi frowned even more.

"Hello, Ino-san."

"San? You should call me Ino-chan, we're friends."

"We are?" Naruto said, turning his head to the side. He didn't think they were, they rarely spoke in class and never outside of it.

"Of course, silly." Ino, didn't mean a word of it. She often found the fellow blond, blunt and a little awkward. But Naruto's offer gave her a plan B in case she couldn't land Sasuke. Naruto just shrugged, not fully buying it but figured they could become friends in the future.

"Didn't you come here for a reason?" Inoichi questioned, rather rudely but Naruto paid it no mind, simply handing the man a slip of paper.

"I need that." Inochi took a look at the paper, nodded and then headed to the back where his inventory was located.

"What are you getting Naruto-kun?"

"A gift for Hinata."

"Oh, am I already that far behind?"

Naruto squinted at her in confusion. "I don't understand."

"Well, you're giving Hinata gifts, what about Ino-chan?"

"Oh, I just discovered we were friends today and I don't know what you like."

Naruto then thought about what his new "friend" might want. He was getting Hinata a gift because her clan didn't offer much in the way of praise or encouragement; it was just criticism or the lack thereof. Since Ino-chan wanted a gift in the similar spirit he was running down examples of times he's seen people be encouraging or offer praise and then he was struck with inspiration. Without a hitch, Naruto walked over to Ino and kissed her on the cheek.

"Congratulations on becoming a Genin, Ino-chan."

The Yamanaka Heiress was caught off guard, she'd been teasing the Uzumaki, though she realized he seemed to be immune. She didn't expect him to just raise the stakes of their little game. What was she supposed to say to that? Inoichi returned with the requested item, potted and ready for transport. Naruto paid and left, bidding both Yamanaka a good afternoon. Inoichi noticed Ino was quiet and slightly blushing.

"Ino-chan, what's wrong?"

"He kissed me." she whispered, absentmindedly so didn't notice her father get a murderous glint in his eye. Ino left the shop to go home planning to turn the tables on the crafty Uzumaki.

Naruto made his way to the Hyuuga compound, after making five clones to practice the shunshin. They ran back to training ground 3 and Naruto approached the large and ornate dwelling of his friend. The guards allowed him through, used to his presence. After several months of training together Hinata's progress and emerging confidence were not able to be denied, outside the religious zealot Naruto met today. When they realized the parties that were helping the heiress tap into her potential they became accommodating of her caretaker and partner. Some even questioned why it took two outsiders to have this effect and if Hiashi's, and their, methods were not as foolproof as they assumed.

Naruto waited in a general meeting area, a place they used to receive guests. It was paneled with rice paper, a very simple room. Hinata arrived, and greeted Naruto with a smile.

"Hello, Naruto-kun."

"Hello, Hinata." he said and smiled back. "I wanted to give you this as congratulations for passing Yuhi-san's test," Naruto said as he handed her a plant. "It's just like Ukki-san." he supplied afterward.

"It is, thank you Naruto-kun. I hope I can be as good to it as you are to Ukki-san." Hinata replied, having known about Naruto's plant/pet for awhile now. "Do you have time for a spar?"

"Hai."

"Ok, let me put this in my room and we can head over to the dojo." Hinata left for her room and returned several moments later sporting an ash gray training gi. The duo tracked over to an empty training room, one Hiashi had freed up for them whenever they wanted to train. After closing the sliding door, Naruto performed a series of hand seals and a seal on the floor lit up briefly. Hinata took her position and smiled, adopting the classic Gentle Fist stance. Naruto walked over toward her, stopping at roughly seven feet from the heiress. He got into his stance, his knees bent and feet not quite shoulder length apart. He was bent forward, slightly, at the waist and his hands were up. He was turned sideways to limit the targets.

The Uzumaki started to inch closer to Hinata, gradually closing the distance. Hinata chose not to give him the opportunity and charged forward, a palm thrust aimed toward his shoulder. Naruto slid his back foot behind him and bent backward as well while using his front hand to slap the blow away. He got it off course enough to dodge it and retaliated with a middle kick from his back leg. Hinata jumped back and Naruto's kick missed her entirely. Because his momentum wasn't that great, Naruto was able to stop the kick and replant his leg, instead of needing to fully follow through, and was able to get back on defense. It was fortunate as Hinata took the opportunity to go on the attack.

Hinata charged and dipped low, attempting to sweep Naruto's leg. The Uzumaki lifted his front leg, avoiding her sweep, and her next using her opposite leg. He couldn't dodge nor block the spinning back kick that hit him in the stomach, sending him sliding away from her. Hinata pressed on, planning to give Naruto no quarter. Naruto sent chakra to his index and ring fingers as well as his thumb creating a makeshift fulcrum with his right hand. Naruto spun and instinctively went for a double leg takedown. It surprised Hinata as he slipped under her planned offense and took her down.

Hinata and Naruto's sparring matches often devolved into grappling sessions. Hinata's striking ability, once her self-doubt was removed, was just very good and Naruto often selected to go to his advantage. This led to Hinata studying a grappling discipline herself, jiu jutsu and with her natural grace and flexibility she was very good at it. She closed the gap between her and Naruto as he'd managed to do the same with his stand up.

As such, Hinata was not overly concerned when she was taken down, having managed to avoid giving up the full mount position. Naruto slide into side mount, his body perpendicular to hers and grabbed her wrist. Even when on the floor, allowing a Hyuuga the full usage of their hands was a terrible mistake. Naruto was attempting to set up a kimura lock but had to roll off Hinata to avoid a knee to the side of his head. The Hyuuga heiress rolled over and returned to her feet, once again pressing the action.

Naruto stayed low as he ducked and dodged her palm thrusts and finger pokes. He saw a gap in her offense and raised up swiftly, attempting to clip her with his forearm. Hinata swayed backward, which left her unable to defend against his clinch or the knee to the body that followed. Taking advantage of her bending forward, Naruto attempted a fireman's carry as one arm went between her legs and he tried to shift her body weight over his back, around his shoulder blades.

Hinata recognized the attempt and rotated, instead using her legs to wrap around Naruto's neck from the back as the two rolled to the ground. Naruto got untangled from her legs and grabbed the kick that followed his exit. He then noticed, Hinata had toenail polish on. A deep blue, it looked nice. So distracted he almost didn't duck under the kick aimed at his head. He didn't expect Hinata to land on the leg that attempted to kick or for her to make another attempt, landing it in his chest. He was take off his feet and had a finger pointed to his temple before he could recover.

"I win." Hinata said with a smile. Naruto only nodded, the pain in his chest making it a tad difficult to breathe but it was subsiding fast enough. Both walked over to a side of the dojo, off the sparring mats, and took a seat. As was their ritual, both synced their fuin beads and began to rewatch their spar. The seal Naruto initially activated was a modification of the motion capture and Naruto found a way to relay the information to one of his fuin beads. Since Hinata had the same seal, they could see the same recording but only they could.

They would watch their spars and pick out their flaws as well as their improvements. Hinata noted Naruto needed to work on his footing more and he agreed. Hinata needed to work on managing opponents that shifted levels often, her assumptions being on people standing up right. They picked out other things as they neared the end and Hinata noticed something.

"Naruto-kun, what distracted you when you caught my kick?"

"Oh, your nail polish. Don't ever recall you wearing any. It looks nice on you."

"I don't normally, Kurenai-sensei and I went for a quick pedicure as celebration for becoming an official team."

"That was very nice of Yuhi-san."

"So was your plant, Naruto-kun. I really like it."

"Thanks. Hinata, I have a question," the heiress simply nodded and Naruto knew it was ok to continue, "well, when I was buying your gift today, Ino-chan came and said we were friends and I should call her chan. And before that, this woman and I accidentally ran into each other and she called herself chan. I don't really feel all that close to them, not like you so can I call you chan?" Hinata smiled at her friend's request. It was very Naruto-kun.

"Of course. I didn't know Ino-san and you were chummy."

"I didn't either, she just announced we were in her family's flower shop."

"Oh." Hinata said but resolved to have a talk with a certain Yamanaka about taking advantage of her best friend for whatever reason. "Would you like a second round?"

"Hai." The two returned to the mat and squared off, neither aware they were being observed.

* * *

It'd been a long day, the days were seemingly getting longer and longer for him. He hated still being in the chair, the weight of so many still on his shoulders. He'd contemplated how to get his wayward students to return, for one of them to take the chair. If he were twenty years younger he knew whom he'd groom for the position, a boy that had the will of fire almost in utter defiance of reality itself. He cracked a brief smile thinking about his favorite blond. He may not be his official student but Naruto had grown a lot from what little Hiruzen had managed to give him, soaking up every morsel of wisdom to the best of his ability.

He looked at his fuin beads, a marvel of fuinjutsu and imagination. The contraption had motivated him to start training again and he could see the difference. And to come from a child, to seamlessly blend other shinobi arts into his sealing. It was worthy of praise and while Naruto was proud Hiruzen got the impression he didn't really get how major his creation was. Hiruzen twisted a bead between his index finger and thumb.

Maybe… maybe this would be what brought them back. Jiraiya loved sealing, the chance to impart his knowledge to his godson and to see something legitimately new would stoke his curiosity. As for Tsunade, she'd be harder but not impossible. Could she turn down seeing a fully functioning auxiliary chakra system in practice? Her how her basic of basic diagnostic jutsu was applied in a way almost no one had considered? With the funds and bodies available for a real medical ninja program, the allure of an advancement of medical ninjutsu and fuinjutsu… she couldn't resist the siren call for long. He promised to get to work on his notices to recall them both in the morning. He was tired and wanted to spend some time with his other grandson.

Just as he was wrapping up he was alerted he had a visitor. He could tell by his assistant's tone it was Naruto and he was more than willing to make some time for the blond. The newly minted genin walked in and greeted Hiruzen with a, "Hi, Oji-san." as was usual and took a seat. Hiruzen greeted him back and waited.

"I have a couple of questions Oji-san, they should be pretty quick."

"Of course, Naruto-kun, how may I help?"

"How do you know if you're developing a sexual fetish?" Hiruzen could only palm his face and sigh. This boy couldn't be boring if he tried.

* * *

 **And there we have it. So, I'm still keeping this a challenge fic as I think it has a lot of places it can go but I'll just be accepting my own challenge. The first chapter is up for grabs, use it however you wish but from here on that's all me, create your own.**

 **Thanks for the positive reviews, they really influenced me to keep writing this one though I'll likely only do a chapter a month or so.**

 **I'll probably be doing more of these one-shot/challenges as I simply have too many ideas and not enough time so if you're wanting to write a fic but aren't coming up with ideas be on the lookout.**

 **Later :)**


	3. Chapter 3

Hiruzen took a moment to gather his thoughts. The vibrations he felt, from the suppressed laughter of his ANBU, didn't help matters. They'd often been witness to Naruto's unique brand of… Naruto-ness and often found humor in the boy's innocent and blunt manner. But this, this was something else. He cursed not having Biwako here as she helped him have the talk with each of his boys. He looked at his surrogate grandson waiting patiently for a response and sighed internally.

"Why do you think you're developing a fetish, Naruto-kun?"

"Hinata-chan and I were just sparringing and I was distracted by her toes, they were painted and I thought they looked nice. I almost got kicked in the head because of it and I figured that might be a sign of something."

"Well, Naruto-kun, you are getting to that age where you are starting to notice people you are attracted to. That often includes various features. It doesn't really rise to the level of fetishism and you won't know you have a genuine fetish, instead of just a preference until you start having sex…. Which you should not, you're too young."

"Of course. I give it until I turn sixteen. I've already asked four girls if they'd be interested." Hiruzen could only quirk his brow at that.

"How'd that go?"

"I think I got three maybes and a no. Sakura-san seemed really put off by the idea. I think Tenten-san just didn't like the presentation."

"Naruto-kun, some might find such explicit requests objectionable."

"I know that now, Hinata-chan informed me as much. I think I should have asked her first then I could have amended my approach."

"You could have simply not done it."

"How will girls know I want to have sex with them in the future unless I tell them?" Naruto said as if his grandfather figure was being ridiculous.

"Just always remember if they don't seem interested don't pressure them or continue to pursue them, ok?"

"Hai. Why do I have to wait to know if I have a fetish?"

Hiruzen really wanted this part of the discussion to be over but answered the boy anyway. "While the colloquial meaning has changed, by the strictest definition a fetish is a sexual obsession that presents the only method of climax for the person beholden to it."

"Ah. Now, my second question. I'm still having some trouble with my footwork, do you know a method of how I can improve it?"

"I actually do. Training ground twenty-seven has a series of poles high off the ground with just enough room for your feet. They also tend to sway in the wind. Practicing your kata on them will help improve your balance and footwork. Do be careful, though, the falls can be painful."

"Thanks, Oji-san."

"Anytime, my boy. I'm actually glad you stopped by. I'm going to be calling my students back in the next day or two. Do you think you could create a multi-tiered encrypted message for one and the diagnostic bead you made for me for the other?" Hiruzen asked and then saw the internal debate going on.

"I know you said you wouldn't just create them for anyone but seeing as how her book helped you make it and it'll stoke her curiosity I was hoping you'd make an exception."

"Ok, Oji-san. But I'll put a clone on that one."

"That's fine, I'm sure the craftsmanship will not suffer."

"What should the message say?" Hiruzen only smiled.

* * *

Team Ten were at their training grounds awaiting the arrival of their sensei. Each had gotten there early, having it drilled into them they should always be there before their sensei/superior arrives as it shows they are serious and dedicated. Shikamaru was watching the few clouds in the sky, the sun having only arose barely two hours ago. Choji was munching away on some chips. Ino was silent and pale holding a bento box as if it were an explosive tag. Her entire vibe was off. Asuma immediately noted his lone kunoichi didn't seem right and wanted to know why.

"Ino, what's wrong with you?"

"N-nothing, I'm fine." She wasn't. She could shake the visitor that paid her a visit as she made her way to the team meeting. Just thinking about it sent chills up her spine.

" _Good morning Ino-chan." The Hyuuga approached her fellow heiress and hugged her, holding the bento box in one hand as she did. Ino was surprised. Hinata really wasn't that expressive nor affectionate._

" _Hi, Hinata." Ino said still in the Hyuuga's embrace. When she tried to break it Hinata held tighter._

" _I don't know what your game is, Yamanaka, but if you hurt Naruto-kun I'll ruin that pretty face of yours. Since you claim to be his friend you better act like it. This is your only warning." The Hyuuga whispered and then for punctuation pulled Ino's head down and kissed her forehead. "I made this for you, have a good day, Ino-chan." She handed the lunch over and walked away saying nothing more nor looking back. Ino only managed to breathe a minute after Hinata was out of view._

Asuma didn't believe her but he also didn't want to delve into her weirdness. He wasn't paid enough for that so he just moved on.

"I want you guys to start warming up, we'll train for a few hours and then take some missions." He heard all three grumble as they began their routine.

Over on training ground three, Provisional Team 7 sat waiting for the arrival of their Jounin Sensei. Sasuke was content staring off into space in silence. Sakura alternated between watching him and groaning about Kakashi being late. Naruto was occupying himself with the encryption seal his Oji-san wanted. While he was no fan of his Jounin Sensei's tardiness, Naruto had already gotten a brief workout in so he also didn't mind the break.

His day started at 4:30am where he awoke and created a clone. By the time he was showered and dressed the clone had already made a light breakfast and lunch and tidied up after himself. Naruto was out the door by five, activating his resistance seals and running full out toward the training ground his Oji-san suggested. Once there, Naruto did a series of stretches and strength building exercises before he climbed upon the poles. He started slowly and instantly realized how this would help as the not all the poles were sturdy. Naruto worked, gently increasing his speed as he performed his kata. He slipped a few times but managed to grab a pole and not fall to the ground entirely. It was a brief sessions so he only focused on his taijutsu, not knowing what Hatake-sensei would be assigning them.

He left that training ground at 6:45 and arrived at training ground 3, via shunshin, moments later but remarked the jutsu still needed some work. He'd assign a few clones to it later. He arrived first, Sasuke and Sakura arriving in tandem. After about thirty minutes of waiting, Naruto began working on his extra assignment. The encryption was meant to be a challenge for an acknowledged seal master, Jiraiya the Toad Sage.

Since he learned of his burden Naruto had taken to looking at the seal on his stomach. He hadn't deciphered much, only that it was two four trigram seals overlayed on top of each other to create an eight trigrams seal. It was supposed to sporadically filter some of the kyuubi's chakra but the filter couldn't handle much, Naruto planned to improve upon it. There were multiple failsafes include a key to strengthen or loosen the seal, he planned to create a key as he wasn't comfortable with someone else being able to decide such things about his seal. He also noticed two foreign chakras housed in the seal. But that was it, really.

Naruto figured if his father could create such a seal in the heat of battle, a good but flawed seal. He acknowledged his father was a genius so any shortcomings of the seal was likely due to the time crunch. But if his father could create a moderately advanced seal Naruto figured the Toad Sage could handle something a little more difficult. So, Naruto was designing the seal. Not on paper, he'd only draw the seal once his plans were solidified. To most, it would appear Naruto was staring off to space but he'd managed to alter his fuin beads. Now he could project various types of information, not just his health and fitness stats or the spars between Hinata and he.

Currently he was finishing the third layer of the array. His seal was going to be three layers, each housing a distinct array. The first would be an even number seal, two points, the next a five point seal. The last wouldn't be drawn at all but a sealing jutsu created strictly via hand seals. Each array was simple enough as they were just standard security seals, the difficult would be unraveling them as normally odd and even seals cannot coexist. Or so most people thought.

Naruto knew you simply had to add features to allow them to connect. Instead of seeing seals as two dimensional, he saw them as three. A multi-story house needed steps and his branching seals were simply the steps. The young Uzumaki didn't know he was actually doing something revolutionary as it was simply what needed to be done for his seals to work. Once he was sure his seals would work, having gone over the elements in his projection and seeing no flaws Naruto "saved" the designs and began to work.

When Kakashi arrived to the training grounds at 9am he saw one annoyed Uchiha, one irate Haruno and a hard at work Chibi. So focused on the Chibi he almost missed his cue.

"Mah, mah. I got lost on the road of life." He said and added an eye smile. When he opened his eye he saw Chibi create a shadow clone, hand it whatever he was working on and then walked over to Kakashi.

"Hatake-sensei?"

"Yes, Naruto."

"Will your delays be a recurrent feature of our meetings? I am responsible for much of my own development and would like to establish a routine that doesn't interfere with your plans."

This threw Kakashi for a loop. He'd expected some griping and some groaning but not acceptance. Chibi was confusing him. "Hm, life is unpredictable so getting your own training in isn't the worst idea. Just make sure it isn't so strenuous you can't function at near full capacity. Matter of fact, what is your routine?" He asked and was handed a file Chibi pulled from a storage seal on his wrist.

"I didn't do the full regimen today but I've also added training in training ground 27." Kakashi flipped through the files, it was quite comprehensive and something in particular caught his eye.

"Do you still have our resistance seals on?"

"Hai."

"Drop them for now, I'll be testing your abilities and I want an accurate measure." That seemed to spark a bit of interest in his blue eyes.

"Measure? How will you be measuring us?"

"With my eye of course."

"We have a different understanding of measurement, Hatake-sensei." Kakashi wasn't sure but he thinks he just got burned.

"Trust me, it'll be fine. Now, the rest of you what does your training routine comprise?"

"Pre run stretching, run around the Uchiha district. Push ups, sit ups, pull ups. Then I run through my various kata. Every other day after the academy I change between shuriken and ninjutsu then a cool down." Sasuke said and Kakashi nodded and then looked to his kunoichi.

"Whatever we do at the Academy, Sensei." He blinked and then smiled, Sakura I want you to start joining Naruto during his morning training. Just the Academy workouts are not enough.

"Hai, sensei. When do you start your training?"

"5 am."

"WHAT?"

"5 am. Hatake-sensei, she may have trouble hearing. I notice her voice goes up in a pattern I've yet to decipher. Sakura-san, I know the standard Konoha Shinobi Sign Language. Would it be easier to communicate that way?"

The pinkette looked offended at the Uzumaki's words, Sasuke smirking was not helping matters. "I hear just fine. Why do you start so early?"

"I have a lot I wish to accomplish."

"Really? Because your grades weren't that good." Sakura pointed out.

"Your grades were better than mine and yet we are both Genin. I am not afraid of hard work but I am selective with what I'll work hard at."

"Alright, good point. Now, before we take our first mission I want you guys to spar with each other so I can see your skills."

"What are the rules?" Sasuke asked.

"Taijutsu and weapons, no maiming or killing blows. Sasuke and Naruto you'll go first." Kakashi ordered and watched as the two boys entered their stances. Sasuke's was a familiar one but Naruto's was not, while it was noted in the file the Sandaime gave him Kakashi still didn't know the form. He was confused when he saw Sasuke go on the offensive, his was a counter attacking style but he quickly reasoned the boy was used to being physically and technically superior to his classmates. Kakashi observed that might be a habit in need of correcting.

Sasuke was technically proficient and with decent power and good technique. He could see, however, the boy was getting frustrated as Naruto simply remained on the defensive and avoided or blocked all of the Uchiha's strikes. After an extended exchange Sasuke disengaged and created some space.

"Hatake-sensei, have you seen enough of Sasuke's skills? Can I attack now?" Kakashi simply nodded and witnessed Naruto unseal two metal rattans, holding each one in a separate hand. Annoyed by his performance and alerted by Naruto's request to attack, Sasuke decided to go on the initiative. He ran towards the Uzumaki again and tried to punch him with a straight right. He received two strikes, one just above the elbow and another above the knee, from the same rattan as Naruto circled away from Sasuke's strike. Without pause Naruto used his other rattan to strike Sasuke's tailbone, causing the boy to bend backward in pain. Now fully behind Sasuke and not wasting anytime Naruto aimed for a high kick for Sasuke's left temple. Only Kakashi superior speed and reflexives safed Sasuke from getting knocked out.

Seeing how close he was to getting kicked in the head Sasuke went wide eyed for the briefest of moments before he turned and glared at Naruto. "You were never that good at the Academy."

"That is incorrectly, Sasuke-san." He said, putting his foot down as Hatake-sensei finally released his leg.

"No, it isn't. You couldn't beat me when we sparred."

"I could have if I'd undid my resistance seals."

"Then why didn't you?" Sasuke asked, getting annoyed.

"Because I would have beaten you due to being physically superior. I wanted to improve my technique and since the Academy is meant for training and wins or losses didn't really matter there was no point to decreasing my burden."

"So, you were holding back the entire time?" Sasuke asked in mild surprise. Naruto had been one of his toughest fights and he didn't know how to feel about the blond not giving his all.

"No, only the last couple of years."

"Alright, you two have a seat and I'll test Sakura myself." Both boys did as instructed and watch Sakura attack their sensei. She did well initially, solid technique but she did start to tire faster than Kakashi would have liked. After a few minutes her form started getting sloppy so Kakashi called a halt and had her sit next to the boys.

"As each of you know, this is a probationary team. I have until the completion of our first C-Rank to determine if we remain a team. While each of you have a solid base to build on, my primary focus will be teamwork. Drills, formations and the like. Until I am sure you can function as a team I won't increase your skills, skills you may use recklessly. Now, let's go get a mission." Kakashi said and walked them to the Mission Assignment Office. As they walked through the village Kakashi was ever observant.

His kunoichi was trying her best to speak to the lone Uchiha but the boy wouldn't budge an inch. He'd have to work on that, on both ends. It wouldn't do for her to pester Sasuke but he could open up and not be an asshole. He also noticed that neither of them seemed to be concerned or interested in Chibi. He finds that surprising given the boy incapacitated a Jounin. That's damn impressive. Chibi didn't seem to mind as he was staring off in space before nodding his head at nothing and then creating a shadow clone that immediately departed. Team 7 eventually made it to the office and Kakashi selected two D-rank missions for his team to complete.

* * *

Elsewhere, we find the Honorable Sarutobi Hiruzen hard at work on his daily briefing and other items of import. He works through the documents at a steady pace until he is interrupted by his assistant alerting him to Naruto's arrival. Momentarily confused, as Naruto should still be with his team Hiruzen calls him in and is informed by the clone that it is, in fact, a clone. Said clone wanted to drop off the encrypted seal as well as his fuin beads. Hiruzen knew Naruto wouldn't waste time completing the tasks assigned to him but he didn't expect the boy to have an overnight turnaround. He thanked the clone for his and Naruto's work and said clone dispelled.

Hiruzen then began composing the messages he'd send to his wayward students. Fortunately, he was always aware of their general whereabouts so finding them wouldn't take overly long. He just hoped they wouldn't have a case of adult onset petulance as he was in no mood. Hiruzen completed the individual messages and summoned two messenger monkeys informing them of where they needed to go and what they needed to say. Just as his summons were departing his door opened and an unwelcome visitor entered his office.

"I don't recall giving you access to my office, Shimura." The Darkness of Shinobi just sighed at the greeting. Granted, he was guilty of releasing the Uzumaki's status he wasn't doing it to be evil. The village was floundering, people needed a pariah as a focus on a deviant element would bring people closer together. He didn't invent social psychology, damnit.

"Must every meeting be like this?"

"I could remove your head and then we'd have no more meetings." A few years ago Danzo would have chalked that up to an idle threat but Hiruzen had changed since then, gotten his edge back. It was good for the village but not for someone running a technically illegal black ops organization. The fuuton master just sighed again.

"I am here to make a request."

"Oh, concerning what?"

"A young boy I'm training, around Naruto's age. I'd like to arrange.. Well, essentially a playdate. I think the two would hit it off."

"You must have the biggest set of balls in the Elemental Nations." Hiruzen said in disbelief. "I tell you if you ever approach that boy without me present I'll kill you wherever I should find you and years later you ask me to expose him to one of your Root?"

"Well, frankly I do but that's beside the point. The young Uzumaki has me reconsidering some things and I think Sai becoming friends with him would benefit them both. He's not going to fit in with that team you assigned him. You have to know that."

"I expect Kakashi to handle the personality clashes."

"You can expect gumdrops from rain clouds but that doesn't make it reasonable." Danzo saw Hiruzen give him an incredulous look he didn't understand. "What?"

"I just didn't expect you to know what gumdrops were."

"Now you're just being an asshole." Hiruzen actually laughed at that.

"If I do this it will be in full view of an ANBU guard."

"That's fine, Hiruzen. This isn't a trick, I believe the boys can relate to each other and that's all."

"Fine, come back tomorrow and we can set something up." Danzo nodded and left. What Hiruzen couldn't know was simply, Danzo had gotten tired. Too many hard choices throughout his life and while he may not show it and people may not accept it, he was a firm believer in honoring those that sacrifice themselves for Konoha. It was why he respected Minato so much, even if he didn't support his appointment to Hokage.

Outing his boy as a Jinchuuriki was not an easy decision but Konoha had lost something, its spirit was waning and he couldn't allow it to continue. He took a gamble and it worked but a little too well. People were fine bonding over their fear and revulsion for the boy. He predicted that but he didn't think it would last this long, he thought Konoha residents were made of sterner stuff and would eventually get over it or notice Naruto looked like the only other person to have his exact coloring. He certainly didn't think he'd affect the boy's development the way it had. He believed in his root training but he didn't think it was right for everyone.

That choice weighed on him. While the boy didn't seem deterred and had the Will of Fire as strong as any he was missing that spark that made people truly great leaders and Danzo didn't know if he'd every develop it. With the boy's skills in fuinjutsu and chakra capacity he'd be an S-rank shinobi given time to mature but not all S-rank ninja can become Kage and the idea he hobbled a future Hokage weighed the man down even further. By the time of the Uchiha Massacre Danzo wasn't the same, the massacre was his attempt to be his "old self". But he'd just lost the taste for it. He didn't mind guiding future ninja, training them as best he could but he'd lost his interest and desire for the game of shadows. It just wasn't in him anymore.

Sai was the last and the youngest of his recruits. He just wanted to expose the boy to something else and believed Naruto might be able to do it. The boy was capable of making friends, though he seemed to have more luck with the opposite gender. Still, each boy would be good for the other. Sai was well trained and could give Naruto a different training partner as well as allowing Danzo to feed some jutsu to the boy. He really didn't expect much of Kakashi, the man just had most perplexing thought process. It wouldn't be much but if he could give the boys a friend in each other it would be a good done without the need of a sacrifice; a concept that had been increasingly attractive to Danzo.

* * *

While pulling roots in the field, two thirds of Team Seven were annoyed. Sakura hated the dirty work and doing it under the nearing midday sun. Sasuke, while no fan of the work nor the working conditions was bother for a completely separate reason. Naruto Uzumaki was a mystery. A boy who couldn't be bothered to do theoretical work in school but could trap their sensei in a preplanned fuinjutsu. A boy that never beat him at the Academy but completely dominated him today. A boy that struggled, initially, with the **Clone Jutsu** but can make corporeal clones with no problem. And that was the source of his irritation.

"If you can make solid clones why aren't you using them to speed this up?" Sasuke asked, his emotional state shining through in his tone of voice.

"I find my pace acceptable, Sasuke-san."

"Sasuke-kun is right. Why not just make some clones so we can get out of here?"

"Why should I do more work than the rest of you? Unless you are offering to compensate me. I am willing to entertain an offer."

"You want us to pay you?"

"I would be doing more of the work, Sasuke-san. Isn't it reasonable I receive something in recognition of that fact?"

"Getting done faster is the reward."

"Once again, I find my workrate acceptable."

"They are just clones, they don't cost you anything."

"Maybe, maybe not but I have a resource you wish to exploit. I am agreeable to that if you have something of equal value to exchange."

"I'm not giving you anything." Sasuke said, offended by Naruto's reasoning.

"That's fine." Naruto said, never pausing his motions as he continued to work.

Kakashi was overlooking the discussion from a tree and let out a soft chuckle. It was mercenary but he couldn't fault Naruto's position. He would be doing more work and the other two just expected he'd be ok with it. He wondered what they taught at that Ninja Academy if the two weren't prepared to haggle and barter. Negotiation was one of the most important skills a ninja could have. Unless it was the mission, violence really was to be a last resort though many people ignored this. He was glad one of his students understood that, even if the boy was trying to finesse his teammates. Kakashi might be zealous in his belief in teamwork but he wasn't a mark. If the other two wanted Naruto to do more work then they'll have to make an arrangement.

Kakashi's keen senses alerted him that he had a guest on his tree branch. He didn't appear bothered but he did check his students before he acknowledge the guest. Chibi really was adept at the **Shadow Clone Jutsu**.

"Are you the real or a clone?"

"Clone, Hatake-sensei."

"Hm. And what can I do for you today, Clone-kun?"

"Boss was curious about the book you were reading. What's it about?"

"Oh, this? Adult things."

"Like intervillage trade during a speculative crisis? Who knew tulips could be so significant?"

"No, not adult like that. Adult like relationships."

"Romance novels? I think Sakura-san used to read those during breaks at the Academy, that doesn't seem very adult." Kakashi almost snorted but snorting is uncool. However, he couldn't let Chibi think his precious Icha Icha was like some crappy dime store romance novel. This stuff was the very height of erotic literature.

"Sex, Chi… Clone-kun. The book is about sex."

"Oh, cool. Can I read it? Where could I get a copy?"

"They don't sell these to kids."

"I can buy weaponry. I can make an explosive array powerful enough to level the Hokage Monument. That seems irrational. Can I just borrow yours then?"

"Mah, mah, mah. Why so interested? Aren't you a little young for this?"

"For one, it is interesting enough for you to split your focus during an official mission. Additionally, research."

"Research?"

"Hai. I have presented multiple women with the offer to engage in sexual intercourse. I may even get to date a kunoichi named Anko-chan." That last part made Kakashi react.

"Wait, timeout. You asked out Mitarashi Anko?"

"Not exactly but she did say she'd consider it when I am older." Kakashi could only stare at the clone wondering if he really could be this lucky. He needed to be sure.

"So, what about the Icha Icha series will aid you in research?"

"While there are guides to help perform sexually, fiction can aid in creativity." Yup, Chibi was a pervert in the making. And given his general demeanor, if Kakashi played this right he could make his sensei's son into a cool pervert… no, Kakashi would aim higher. He would go for the very peak. His sensei's son will be a Gentleman Pervert. Kakashi couldn't believe it, Naruto was a once in a generation find. Someone that could bring respectability to perversion.

Seeing the clone of his favorite student staring at him Kakashi spoke to continue the conversation. He recalled the boy having multiple offers out and wanted to get a feel for his preferences.

"So, of these offers Naruto made, are all of them kunoichi?" He saw the clone nod. "Why?"

"I could say it was proximity being around, mostly kunoichi. But more so, Boss likes pretty girls that can fight." Those words triggered a long forgotten conversation Kakashi once had with his sensei.

" _Sensei, why do you like Kushina-san so much? She's the exact opposite of you."_

" _I wouldn't say she's the exact opposite. Kushina can be a wonderfully kind and caring woman. And yes, she can be quite violent as well but what can I say? I like a pretty girl that can fight."_

'You'll be the one, Chibi. I'll make sure of it.' Kakashi thought as he simply nodded at the clones words while plans on top of plans formed in his head. What Kakashi couldn't know is that his resolve sent a shiver down the backs of several kunoichi who all simultaneously had a single thought, 'Kakashi bastard.' They didn't and wouldn't know why for days to come.

* * *

 **Two Days Later**

Jiraiya was not surprised to see a monkey summons waiting for him as he walked along his path. He was scheduled to meet another contact today in a southern village of the Land of Fire. He wasn't familiar with the summons but his sensei had contacted him like this when something was time sensitive and couldn't wait for their normal check-in procedures.

"Jiraiya-sama, a message from Hiruzen-sama." The black haired monkey said, coming up to Jiraiya's knee. He reached down to the monkey's outstretched hand and read the scroll.

 _Jiraiya, contained within this scroll is an encryption seal designed by your godson and our most recent acknowledged Seal Master. If you cannot break the seal by the end of today I expect you to return to the village immediately. If you can break them then follow the directions contained therein. If you disregard this summons or delay your return I will come for you personally, bo staff in hand. You don't want that Jiraiya. Trust me._

 _Hiruzen Sarutobi, Sandaime Hokage_

Jiraiya read the note three more times to be sure he was truly absorbing what was on the page. His godson, Minato's boy was already a seal master? At twelve? That's prodigious even for an Uzumaki. A part of him just wanted to return, his sensei's test be damned but another part of him, the seal master wanted to see what his godson could do. Granted, if the boy didn't specialize in encryption he likely wouldn't produce anything that complex for a decade's long seal master but Jiraiya would show him the finer points of security seals when he returned.

The Toad Sage pumped chakra into the storage seal at the bottom of the letter and watched as another scroll emerged. Jiraiya unraveled it, truly curious about what his godson produced. He looked it over staring intently at the design. And stared. And stared. And stared. He then looked up at the summons then back to the seal before looking at the summons again before exclaiming,

"What the fuck is this?!" Jiraiya would spend the rest of the day attempting to get a handle on the seal's design before summoning a toad to meet his contact and charging off to Konoha.

Outside the Land of Vegetables Tsunade sat under a shady tree, enjoying the cool breeze as her pet pig sat in her lap. Her longtime apprentice was in a field getting in a workout, Tsunade would join but was entirely too hungover to be bothered. Yes, it was just an excuse as she could sober herself up anytime she pleased but when you can punch holes through mountains and lift Gamabunta's tanto people don't question you too much. Her relaxation session was interrupted by the arrival of a small, white monkey. Like Jiraiya, she was familiar with being approached by her sensei's summons.

Normally, it was to warn her about some upcoming incident or danger that would be in an area near her, hence giving her time to avoid it. She was filled with dread that this would somehow be different. The monkey handed her a scroll and the medic wasted no time consuming her sense's words.

 _Tsunade-chan,_

 _The time has come, dear girl, the village needs its last Senju and most prodigious medic. I have allowed your absence for so long because I knew you blamed me for your losses. I blamed myself as well. But more than enough time has passed. Not only will I be instituting your long suggested Medical Ninja Training Program but I have something that may interest you. In the seal contained below is the work of our newest and youngest ever seal master. Using your cousin Tokka Senju's and your book for inspiration at the age of ten he accomplished something truly impressive. He is a genin now and I know you two could do something truly wonderful together, untold medical breakthroughs await Tsunade._

 _Please come home._

 _Sarutobi Hiruzen, Sandaime Hokage._

 _P.S. Tsunade if you should destroy the contents of that storage scroll in a bout of childishness I will know and I will come for you. If you don't want to be dragged across the Elemental Nations by your pig tails then please respect the work this young man did solely because I requested it of him._

Tsunade knew it was serious when her sensei said he'd come for her personally. He'd never said that before and even in written words she could tell he truly meant it. She performed her jutsu so she could be sober and the unsealed the contents of the storage array. She saw it was two engraved beads on a string like bracelet. Taking a closer look Tsunade realized they were seals. She fed chakra into one and felt a foreign chakra enter her system but one that felt like hers so she didn't fight it. After the seal stopped glowing she did it for the second bead and saw her current medical information projected right in front of her. She could also tell only she could see it.

Tsunade wondered how she could have possibly been an inspiration for this before she remembered the diagnostic jutsu she had in her book. It was so simply and in no way could be weaponized but to see it utilized like this, to no longer rely on "feel" or intuition. It really could be a game changer if utilized properly. Tsunade made a decision she never thought she would.

"Shizune, gather your things. We're going back to Konoha."


	4. Chapter 4

"You understand you are not to leave my supervision?" The ANBU agent asked. He truly felt silly escorting a pre-adolescent licensed shinobi to a playdate. But Tenzo was loyal and didn't ask questions. The pair walked toward their destination, Tenzo with picnic basket in hand. He hated how his senpai was clearly laughing at him when he arrived to pick up Naruto.

"Hai."

"And this is just an informal get together, you are meant to have fun."

"Hai. Did Oji-san give you answer about my request?"

"He said you may increase your maximum to 30."

"I requested forty." Naruto said evenly.

"And you will get thirty." Tenzo watched as the small blond rubbed his chin in thought.

"That's fine, I only needed twenty-five so I still come out ahead. Oji-san should haggle more." Tenzo had to stop himself from laughing at that. If the blond knew how much negotiation went into this arrangement he wouldn't say that. Tenzo had literally seen less thought go into treaties. Everything was on the table, the location of the meet, the duration, pre-planned activities. Even the contents of their lunch had to be agreed upon by Sandaime-sama and Danzo-sama. It took four days and five meetings to finalize this.

"I'll inform Sandaime-sama of your observation." The ANBU didn't expect much of a reaction and the calm head nod he receive fell within expectation. He'd seen the boy interact with the Hokage enough to get a feel for Naruto's disposition. He rather liked how generally calm but inquisitive the boy could be. Not a fan of how interested he is in sex, especially given Kakashi-senpai is his sensei but it could be worse. At least Jiraiya-sama isn't his master.

Unbeknownst to the pair they were being watched by the two men that arranged the meet. Danzo chuckled at Naruto's observation. It was very Tobirama-sensei of him to remark a party didn't maximize their advantage. It also raised a question.

"Can he actually maintain forty shadow clones?"

"He can maintain significantly more, we both worked out the math awhile ago."

"Then why limit him? Concerns about brain trauma?"

"No. The regenerative powers of the Kyuubi would mean he could handle a large influx of information. Worst case scenario would be a bout of unconsciousness and we worked out a method to avoid that."

"Then why are you limiting the boy? More of that accursed softness?"

"I limit him because I believe Naruto is going to change this village and the world. But we are both old enough and wise enough to know the world doesn't like being changed rapidly, especially by a child. Doubly for this child. I want him to build relationships and a reputation so when he does turn the world on its ear our shinobi can handle it and will be there for him."

"I'll admit becoming certified when he did is impressive but he only beat Kushina by two years."

"No, he beat Kushina by almost four years. You can't be certified and not be a shinobi and I wasn't going to let him graduate early."

"Ten? He was _ten?_ "

"Just had recently turned eleven and Kushina was just about to turn fifteen."

"And you plan to let him outside the village? He could be promoted to Special Jounin right now and head a sealing division."

"Yes and it would hurt his development as a shinobi. If Naruto's only true skill was in fuinjutsu, if all he wanted to do was be a Seal Master I'd make him a Special Jounin and let him run wild. He wants to be a ninja and getting out to see the world will do him some good."

"Or put a significant asset in jeopardy which would hurt the village overall."

"And hiding him away will do what? He's not a machine, fuinjutsu is just as much of an art as it is a science and an artist needs to be connected to the world. No matter how imaginative he is if he only has to see past four walls he'll constrain himself. The larger his world is the large he must dream outside of it." HIruzen argued and Danzo let the matter drop, for now.

The pair continued to watch as Naruto arrived at the designated spot, training ground 33. A wide open space, thus making it difficult for evasion and ambush. There were only a few trees scattered about and Sai was located under the nearest one seemingly drawing in a small sketchbook. Tenzo and Naruto walked over to greet the boy, Tenzo providing the introductions.

"Sai-san, this is Uzumaki Naruto, Genin. Naruto-san, this is Sai a personal student of Shimura Danzo-sama. Both he and Sandaime-sama have arranged this informal meeting between the two of you. I have your lunch here. You two are not to leave my supervision and if you wish to relocate you must clear it with me first. Is this understood?"

"Hai."

"Hai." Tenzo gave Naruto the basket and then shunshined out of sight. Naruto approached Sai sticking out his hand. "Nice to meet you Sai-san."

"Pleasure to meet you, Whiskers." Danzo stiffened in Hiruzen's office. For some reason he couldn't break the boy of giving people nicknames. Or commenting on the lack of genitalia of various members of Root. Fu almost gutted the boy once if not stopped by Torune.

"Insult or nickname?" Naruto asked seemingly unbothered either way.

"Nickname. It is supposed to establish a rapport with someone."

" _12 Steps to Instant Friendship_?" Naruto asked and Sai nodded. "I've read that one, I found it limited in its application."

"Oh, how so?"

Naruto unsealed a paper and a pencil from his mass storage fuin bead and sat down, waving Sai to do the same. "The book suggests giving someone a nickname and it could potentially build a bond but it depends on the type of nickname as well as the person assigning it and the person being assigned. I've found you have to include relational distance for the idea to work." Naruto then created several triangles, most of them acute but one an Isosceles.

"If the two points at the bottom of the triangle represents how close, emotionally, two parties in a given relationship are then this third point would represent the specificity of the nickname." Naruto spoke and saw Sai nodding along.

"I'm guessing since these first triangles have the points further away but the top is relatively close that means if you don't know each other well then a nickname has to be really general. Like, Ace or Sport? But the last triangle is an Isosceles, the closeness of the two members means they can be more specific about the nicknames, even using one that would otherwise be considered offensive."

"Exactly. I don't mind that you call me Whiskers, I've never had a nickname before but others might bristle at you doing so when you've only just met."

Sai smiled at Naruto's words. What he said did make sense, more than others. "Do you read a lot of those kinds of books?"

"I used to since people confused me and while it helped a little I was never able to build a grand theory."

"I've been unsuccessful in that pursuit as well. Have you read _Tales Your Body Tells_?"

"No."

"It has a lot about body language and micro expressions. It doubles as a field guide for Hunter Nin so the later chapters may not be relevant."

"Hm, I'll have to check it out."

Back in Hiruzen's office, Danzo visibly relaxed when he saw Naruto's response to Sai's nickname. Then they watched as Naruto started getting analytical over self-help books. Danzo was familiar with the concept of relational distance and could only say one thing.

"You are such a geek, you nerd."

"And where is _that_ coming from?"

"Relational distance? You would introduce a child to social geometry."

"He asked me for suggestions about shinobi tactics and multi-party disputes. Besides, at least I didn't give him a field manual for Hunter Nin. What's your ideal gift for a newborn, an Odachi?"

"At least Odachi are cool unlike those sticks you used to play with." Danzo said, annoyed. He'd never give a baby a bladed weapon. Maybe a dagger once they're like two or three but not a baby.

"I put the fear of god into student and enemy alike with those sticks." Hiruzen not liking that response. He was a legendary bo staff wielder and Enma's staff form was hard as cut diamond. The ANBU and Root in attendance simply couldn't believe their respective bosses were bickering like children while the children sounded like old men.

"Girls, increasingly." The older men heard Naruto say and realized they'd missed out on something. "I don't know when it happened but I find myself increasingly interested in them."

"For the purposes of procreation?"

"Sex does play a role but it's more, if I'm going to be in a crowd of people I think I'd prefer there be more girls than boys."

"Hm, this may require further study." Sai responded.

"I agree. My Jounin Sensei, Hatake Kakashi-san lent me a book that might help. It's called Icha Icha Paradise. He seems to swear by it."

"I may have to request Danzo-sama provide me a copy."

Back at Hiruzen's office Danzo had thoughts on Sai's future request.

"There's no way I'm buying that boy porn. I'm surprised you let your Jounin share it with their pre-adolescent students."

"Do you really think I suspected I'd have to tell Kakashi not to give Naruto-kun a smut book?"

"Why wouldn't you? You're a pervert. Jiraiya's a pervert. Minato probably would have been a pervert if Hurricane Kushina didn't scare him straight. And Kakashi is a pervert that's too lazy to do anything perverted. Hell, I think the majority of the reason he reads those books in public is because it takes too much effort to go home."

"You're too controlling and uptight. Besides, Naruto is curious. Maybe Kakashi thought the book would embarrass him and he'd drop it."

"You don't even believe that," said Danzo.

As the old men continued to bicker they saw the boys divulge their various interests and learned they had a mutual interest in art. Naruto also seemed intrigued by Sai's ink based jutsu. Naruto shared he was a fuinjutsu user, though Hiruzen suspected Danzo already told the boy that. Naruto also stated he hoped Kakashi would expand his meager jutsu arsenal. Danzo scoffed.

"Why weren't you giving him jutsu? He has the chakra for it."

"He never asked and I wasn't in a rush to give an Academy student even more abilities than he was gaining. Besides, his fuinjutsu was supposed to offset his lack of ninjutsu. I didn't know he was going to be a master of the field so young."

"It's still a waste of potential."

"I agree. I often think how far he could take my combination jutsu technique in conjunction with his fuinjutsu."

"And yet you do nothing. Do you, at least, know his elemental alignment?" Danzo asked and he saw Hiruzen have an intense moment of debate.

"Wind, bastard. It's wind. And before you say anything, I know you're going to use your Root to slip him some techniques but be responsible. Could you imagine what he can do if he supercharges a **Great Breakthrough**?"

"It's the only thing I can imagine. A little property damage would be good for Kinoe. It'll let him exercise his talents."

"Just be responsible."

"You mean be a suffocating old hen."

"No, I mean don't try to teach him vacuum manipulation like, oh I don't know, tomorrow."

"I am capable of restraint. I just know pressure forms diamonds." Hiruzen only grunted in response.

The boys ate their lunch of tempura fish, pickled vegetables, steamed rice, miso soup and red bean buns.

"You really should not have included those buns, it's empty calories."

"You smoke all the time. Besides, who can begrudge someone a dessert?"

"If Naruto-kun wants something sweet he knows to eat fresh fruit." Hiruzen said, ignoring the jibe about his smoking entirely.

"And you call me controlling. Half the Root I did have came when you banned sweets in the ANBU Cafeteria."

"You cannot be serious."

"Hiruzen, I have spreadsheets, I can show you."

"Well, I still say it's a waste."

Back to the boys, they had just finished their lunch and were washing it down with some green tea. They sat in silence for a bit before Naruto had an idea.

"Sai, you said you use a tanto."

"Hai."

"Do you have it with you, would you care for a spar?"

"Yes, I think that would be acceptable."

Sai retrieved his tanto, sealed in his bag and returned. Naruto had already retrieved his rattan and fused them into a quarterstaff. It appeared as if it were always one solid piece due to Naruto's fuinjutsu. This way no one could simply break the staff apart with blunt force. The boys took their stances, Sai holding the tanto in front of him in his right hand and his feet apart and knees slightly bent. Naruto had his staff resting on his shoulders behind his head, appearing to be completely open.

Simultaneously the boys charged at each other. When Sai was within range Naruto swung the staff horizontally, taking full advantage of its reach. Sai block the strike with his tanto, absorbing the blow without issue but wasn't prepared for Naruto to close the distance and unleash a palm strike to his stomach. The Root ninja rotated out of the path and attempted to retaliate with his tanto swinging downward, only for it to be stopped by the metal staff. Sai watched as Naruto, now on his knees, spun to the outside of Sai and struck at his shoulder. Sai rotated once again and backed off. Naruto returned to his feet and started spinning his staff. The boys engaged once again.

Hiruzen and Danzo both enjoyed watching the spar. Hiruzen hadn't realized Naruto was so adept at Ubu's style of staff wielding. He was also impressed at Sai's use of the tanto, being able to minimize his disadvantaged reach. The boys were becoming increasing acrobatic, Danzo groaned when Naruto propped himself up with the staff behind him and kicked Sai in the chest.

"Oh, you remember that technique."

"Yes, you were quite the monkey, Hiruzen."

Twisting, turning, ducking and dodging the boys were relentless. The spar stopped when Naruto one, Sai not knowing the staff could be separate pieces and Naruto landing some well timed strikes because of it. He sealed his weapons back and helped Sai return to his feet before wiping some of the sweat from his brow. Just as they finished, Tenzo returned, a signal that their meeting had reached its duration.

"That was… I believe they'd call it fun." Sai observed.

"I agree. Would you like to do that again? Or well, I'm open."

"I wouldn't mind sparring again or some other activity."

"Cool. I guess we should keep arrangements between Oji-san and Danzo-san for the time being."

"That sounds prudent. Well, I'll see you later, Whiskers."

"Indeed, Sai."

* * *

Unbeknown to any of the parties, Naruto and Sai's playdate had another observer. Jiraiya returned early that morning, not alerting anyone to his presence. He wanted to get a feel for his godson. Jiraiya felt the boy was somewhat reserved but he knew Minato could be as well so he resolved himself to open the gaki up a bit. He smiled when he heard Naruto was not only interested in girls but seemed to prefer their company in general. He'd make him a super pervert like no other. As the ANBU and Naruto were nearing the village proper Jiraiya decided to make his entrance. Summoning a large toad, and thus generating a lot of chakra smoke he bellowed.

"The envy of men, the desire of women. The strongest of the sannin and acknowledged master of the toad arts. The legendary super pervert. The amazing and humble shinobi himself. I am JIRAIYA!" when the smoke cleared Jiraiya was on top a large orange toad as he stood in a kabuki pose. Tenzo was annoyed at the Toad Sage's antics. No one could tell what Naruto thought.

"That was a very elaborate introduction, do you practice it?" Jiraiya fell off his toad with a sweatdrop assuming Naruto was being sarcastic. Once he got back to his feet he took a good look at Minato's near mirror image. The boy met his gaze with no problem, as if being in front of a Sannin wasn't remarkable to him in the least. "Well, do you?"

"No, gaki, I don't practice it."

"Oh, it was impressive. More so that you can just do it. I'm Uzumaki Naruto. It's a boring introduction though." Jiraiya, once again, assumed Naruto was being sarcastic and was sulking internally for coming off lame to his godson. Naruto was wondering if he should work on his introductions. He actually liked Jiraiya's whole thing.

"Jiraiya-sama, welcome back."

"Thank you, Anbu-san. I'm actually here to report in to sensei. Figured I'd take the gaki with me as we have business."

"Then I will leave him in your care," spoke Tenzo followed by him shunshining away.

"As we walk why don't you tell me a little about yourself."

"Since you sought me out I will assume Oji-san provided my professional information," Jiraiya nodded so Naruto continued, "I like reading and doing new things. I like nature and exploring it when I'm not training. I have a plant named Ukki-san. My best friend is Hyuuga Hinata. I like Iruka-sensei but not his reluctance to instill my suggested changes to the Shinobi Academy. I plan to be Hokage."

"Plan not want?"

"As it is optional, I assumed my planning to do it implied I wanted to."

"That's a good point but you've got to loosen up, gaki. Put some emotion into your voice."

"Oh, it appears Oji-san has not relayed everything to you. My manner isn't a veneer of professionalism. This is simply how I am. I believe Oji-san calls it muted affect. I'm just not that expressive." Jiraiya frowned at that.

"How did that happen? Is it something that can be cured?"

"Oji-san, in consultation with Inoichi Yamanaka believe it was due to my ostracization in early childhood, it affected my development."

"Why wou… they know? How did they know? They were never supposed to know. Let's speed this up, gaki, I need to talk to sensei." Naruto complied and the two raced across the rooftops until they reached the Hokage Tower. Naruto took the stairs, as normal so was delayed. When he arrived he heard Jiraiya shouting at his Oji-san and slipped into the office. He then put up a silencing barrier so no one else could hear.

"You have to have some suspects. Give me names, I will make them talk."

"I said no, Jiraiya and that is final!"

"I'm not a child anymore and I don't care about your title. Someone screwed with my godson and I will know who it is and my face will be the last they see before I black them out."

"You're my godfather? How's that work?" Naruto asked, unbothered by the large amount of killing intent being thrown around by the powerful shinobi. Both men turned to see Naruto standing by the door and themselves surrounded by a barrier they hadn't noticed.

"Shit, yea, gaki. Your named after a character in my first book, _Tale of an Utterly Gutsy Shinobi_. You parents requested I look after you. I'm sorry I wasn't here Naruto, it was not because I didn't want to be. Initially, I was only supposed to be gone for a few years to strengthen my spy network but incidents kept arising and to keep the village safe I needed to be on the move. I truly regret I had to make such a decision and you paid for it."

"Is all that true, Oji-san?"

"It is, Naruto-kun."

"Then we're fine. Besides, I don't feel like I need to be fixed. I know I'm not like everyone else but I'm ok with that." Jiraiya considered Naruto. The boy so easily forgave his absence and accepted himself. It was impressive.

"Ok, I'll leave it for now but I do want names, sensei. Now, that's out the way, gaki how did you create this seal? Everytime I thought I was close it seemed to change." Jiraiya said, retrieving the encrypted message.

"It's a tri-level seal with the top array scrambling the composition if you took too long to deactivate it."

"No, gaki, that can't be possible. I've seen scripts meant to scramble seals, those elements are tricky to pull apart but I've got enough experience to do so. And multi-tiered sealing is rare, incredibly rare."

"It is possible because I did it. It was its on array and it worked on each the other two levels individually. You had to undo that array." Not wanting to call his godson a liar Jiraiya pressed on.

"Ok, so what were the other two levels?"

"The second was a five point locking seal the first was a two point."

"Stop. Gaki, even and odd number seals interfere with each other. Was this a trick, can this even be opened?" Naruto quirked his right eyebrow at Jiraiya. Hiruzen saw it and interceded.

"Naruto, unseal the message, please." The Uzumaki nodded and took apart all three layers of the seal, easy since he designed it, and showed the message to Jiraiya.

 _Even if you manage to decrypt this, bring your ass back anyway._

 _Hiruzen :)_

Jiraiya was confused and not at all amused by his sensei's little joke. None of it made sense, the kid was flouting long held fuinjutsu rules. There must be a mistake and Naruto was just confused. Hiruzen saw Jiraiya's skepticism and wanted to avoid any unpleasantness.

"Naruto-kun, show Jiraiya how you crafted and created the seal." Naruto nodded and then looked around for an empty, flat surface. He saw an end table in the corner, beside his Oji-san and brought it to the front of his Oji-san's desk, between the two chairs. Naruto unsealed a calligraphy brush from his mass storage bead and began to draw an intricate seal. Jiraiya watched fondly recalling how Kushina enjoyed the process of actually drawing seals. Minato preferred to memorize every detail so he could materalize it through chakra writing. It was a study in contrast as it was likely one of the few areas where she was slow and deliberate whereas Minato was about speed. It took less than two minutes for Naruto to be done, the signal being when he pumped chakra into the newly created seal.

"Sit down and place your hand on the seal. Pump some chakra into it and don't fight the feedback." Naruto said neutrally. Jiraiya remained skeptical but did as was requested. Jiraiya immediately felt chakra invade his system but resisted the urge to dispel it. Moments later he saw what he could only describe as a black screen. Until Naruto started speaking about his seal. Then Jiraiya saw an illustration of each array and how Naruto linked them.

The Toad Sage's head was spinning. Never had he seen a seal like the one Naruto used to explain the seal that had stumped him. The kid was throwing out advancements like it was an everyday thing, as if he didn't understand how revolutionary creating a process to merge even and odd seals really were. After seeing the encryption seal put together Jiraiya couldn't find the words. His godson was a genius and potentially didn't know it. It took a moment but he found his tongue and spoke,

"Hey, gaki how about you get out of here but we grab some dinner tonight?"

"I find that acceptable. Bye, Oji-san. Later, Ero-danna." Hiruzen belly laughed at the nickname and Naruto was gone before Jiraiya could even respond. Forgetting that issue, for now, Jiraiya turned to his sensei.

"He's a genius." in disbelief.

"I'm aware." Hiruzen said dryly.

* * *

Sakura Haruno was not experiencing the shinobi career she thought she'd have, even this early on. While she didn't plan to have grand adventures, yet, she certainly didn't think she'd spend her days doing chores. She hadn't gotten any closer to Sasuke-kun. Her sensei hasn't taught her anything. And she spends much of the day sore because some sadist works her to the bone at 5am. If she had to rank her displeasure, her morning sessions would top the list.

It isn't just that the exercises are hard as she can admit she hadn't taken the physical aspects as seriously as she should have and needed to catch up to her teammates. But they are taxing. Naruto's morning run has him moving from trees to running on water then the ground and back, full out and no breaks for an hour. She didn't even know you could walk on water. She was too embarrassed to ask Naruto to teach her so she had to modify the run. But that gets at why she dislikes the workout.

It was arrogant of her but she really never thought much of Naruto. He made an awkward attempt to befriend her around the time she was finally getting accepted so she spurned him. His grades and constant scolding of Iruka-sensei was proof she was correct to do so. Even when those things changed she hadn't changed her opinion. Being assigned on a team with him, she just knew she was the all around better ninja even if he were better at the practical stuff. She looked down on him.

And yet, when asked by Kakashi, Naruto didn't hesitate to help her train, to share his training with her. He was stronger and smarter than she'd realized via the conversations they'd share. Once she stopped trying to put Naruto in a box she found him to blunt but sincere and supportive. She wasn't exactly overflowing with friends as she and Ino had a falling out over their mutual crush. She missed having that kind of support and it shames her to think she gave up on having it because she feared alienation.

Sakura never considered herself shallow or easily swayed by a crowd but she had to reconsider that, had to reconsider a lot of things. If her rejection of Naruto was due to the flimsiest of reasons then what else in her life had she grown attached to only for her motivations to be puddle deep? Her crush of Sasuke-kun? Her reason for being a kunoichi? Without even trying, Naruto was making her ask some really hard questions and she didn't want to do that. She wanted to be the smartest kunoichi in class and the second most useful on the team. She wanted to crush on Sasuke with zero complications or questions. Her intellect wouldn't allow her to, though. Not even Inner could force the questions down, sometimes being the one pressing Sakura to answer them.

As she made her way to the BBQ restaurant the rookies agreed to meet she welcomed the distraction. Distraction from being sore, tired, and unfulfilled. Distractions from her having to ask herself what kind of kunoichi did she want to be and how would she achieve it. It was a lot to be placed on the shoulders of a twelve year old and Sakura didn't know who to turn to. Kakashi-sensei was aloof she often wondered if he actively disliked them all. As the thoughts spun in her head, Sakura hadn't realized she'd made it until her destination, not until a familiar voice ripped her out of her reverie.

"Hey, Forehead, over here." Sakura looked up to see Team 8 and 10 already seated. She didn't bother to call Ino a pig in retaliation, choosing to just walk over a take a seat. She was too sore and too confused to trade barbs today, something Ino noticed.

"Sakura, what's wrong with you?"

"Years of misspent youth coming back to haunt me." She said and several at the table looked confused signaling she needed to explain further. "Kakashi-sensei felt my conditioning wasn't where it should be so he's had me working out with Naruto at five in the morning."

"Troublesome." The Nara said, summarizing the general opinion on that revelation.

"Sakura-san, you said you train with Naruto at such an hour because of your current fitness. I recall Naruto being one of the more physically fit members of our class so why must he start so early?"

"Naruto-kun works out that early anyway, I'm assuming Kakashi-sensei simply had Sakura-san join what Naruto-kun was already doing."

"What Hinata said."

"Where's the rest of your?" Kiba asked.

"Sasuke-kun didn't want to attend, Naruto left with an ANBU after Kakashi-sensei dismissed us." This perked Ino right up.

"Oh, I sense prime gossip material. Give us details?"

"It isn't nice to gossip about our friends, Ino-chan." Hinata said calmly. Ino paled at the Hyuuga heiress's words.

"Y-you know what, you're right Hinata. I was just curious and all. Silly old Ino, being too curious again." Her reaction confused much of the table but the server arrived to take orders so the pre-teens were distracted. As the afternoon continue to pass the rookie genin spoke about their teams; Team 8 is happy to be with Kurenai and believe they will develop well, Team 10 likes Asuma but Ino thinks he's a bit lazy. When the meal reached its conclusion the rookies parted ways, except Ino and Sakura.

Though they may not be on the best of terms, they do know each other so Sakura couldn't miss Ino being so weird in certain moments, normally in a reaction to Hinata. She wanted to get to the bottom of this so she pulled the blonde into an alley. Ino didn't seem amused at being handled by Sakura.

"Ino, what's going on?" Sakura asked with genuine concern. Ino debated playing dumb or denying anything was wrong but realized her former best friend was reaching out and she could use an objective perspective.

"I messed up. The day of our genin exams Naruto came into the flower shop. I figured I'd mess with him for so boldly propositioning me, flirt a little to fluster him. At some point, I said we were friends and he should call me Ino-chan. I didn't really mean it, he might be a good backup plan but I really was just screwing with him in retaliation. Well, he got the better of me and I won't go into that. The next morning Hinata approaches with a homemade bento and hugs me. Before I can even let the confusion of that set in she threatens me. Said since I told Naruto we were friends I better act like it or she'd ruin my pretty face. Then the little psycho kisses me on the forehead, gives me the bento and leaves."

"I don't think it's psychotic to protect your friend from being played with." That did not come from Sakura.

'Oh, my precious face' Ino thought. Sakura just stood rimrod straight as the voice was directly behind her.

"But I can understand why you might be confused. That's ok, it just means we aren't good enough friends yet, Ino-chan. I hope to change that in the near future. Would you like to change that in the future with me?"

"O-of course, Hinata."

"Excellent. I hope you two have a good night, bye."

"You're screwed, Piggy." Sakura said after Hinata left.

* * *

The rational and the irrational warred within her. She knew what she was feeling was incorrect but that didn't change anything. Being back here. In this village, in this office.. She just wanted to flee. To drink and gamble and forget. The losses, the failures, forget it all. She just wanted to be numb and lost. The air in this room felt thick and heavy.

"It's so good to see you again, Tsunade-chan. I feared I'd depart from this world before I could." Hiruzen said hugging his former student. The gesture relaxed Tsunade as she returned the hug.

"I'm sorry, Sensei. It's really hard to be here."

"I know, dear, I know. But I would not have brought you back without good reason. I know you still have your hemophobia but Inoichi has agreed to work with you while you set up your training program and whatever else you would like at the hospital. Where is Shizune?"

"At the estate getting settled in. Now, where is this prodigy that is going to change medical technology for generations to come?"

"He'll be here shortly. Tsunade, the boy is as talented as I said, likely more so but he does have a unique manner. He took over Mito's burden, Tsunade. And someone leaked it to the villagers. From a very early age he was made into a figure of fear and disdain, it affected him. He can be blunt and straightforward but it is never with the intention of being rude, more so he is overly earnest. He can also come off as unfeeling, that is also untrue. He doesn't process his emotions like others but he does have them. So, if he does something offense, please don't fly off the handle. Explain it and he'll amend his behavior."

"I never really thought about who would have to do that after Kushina died. What's his name?"

"Uzumaki Naruto."

"..."

"Don't freak out."

"..."

"I truly didn't believe you'd come back and stay because you would have had to stay here."

"..."

"Could you have truly taken care of him?"

"..."

"Sandaime-sama, Jiraiya-sama and Naruto-kun are here."

'Thank the Sage.' "Send them in."

The Godfather and Godson pair walked into a tense situation. Naruto laid eyes on Tsunade and thought she might be the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen and given he thought most kunoichi were attractive that was saying something. Not really taking heed of the vibe within the room Naruto spoke,

"I understand why you based your porn on her, Ero-danna."

"WHAT!?" Tsunade yelled.

'We're all going to die/I'm going to die' were the thoughts of the Sandaime and the Toad Sage respectively.


	5. Chapter 5

Naruto was thoroughly confused. His Oji-san an Ero-danna both looked as if they were in mortal peril. Add to that Tsunade was muttering to herself that she shouldn't kill people on her first day back. He agreed, she really shouldn't but he was confused as to why she'd want to. Was it the porn thing? Maybe she thought it was salacious? Or was just offended in general. He'd have to clear this up, it wouldn't be right for others to pay because he said something inappropriate.

The two adult males stood awaiting their impending doom. The ANBU were hiding and had yet to intercede on their Hokage's behalf. None were ashamed. They would happily take a kunai or exploding tag for their Hokage but an irate Tsunade Senju is beyond their mandate. Literally. It is written in the ANBU operations manual and has been since she was twelve. All gasped when they saw Naruto reach out and grab Tsunade's hand assuming it'd be the end of the boy. He showed such promise.

"I'm sorry if I offended, Tsunade-san. In Jiraiya's books he portrayed the character based on you as an otherworldly, ethereal beauty. I assumed he was exaggerating. To find he may have undersold it was surprising and I spoke bluntly. I apologize for my words."

And just like that the storm of killing intent snapped and Tsunade even had a tinge of pink in her cheeks. She ran her fingers through Naruto's hair playfully while smiling at the smaller blond. Hiruzen and Jiraiya had only ever seen two people able to snap Tsunade out of an impending rage, Nawaki and Dan. To see someone else brave impending doom and quell her fury with a few words was shocking.

"Oh, I wasn't mad at you Naruto. And what you said was very sweet, thank you." she said pinching his cheek not realizing they were sensitive due to the whisker marks. Naruto hummed, it was a nice sensation he had to admit. "But that doesn't get either of you off the hook, not entirely. However, that can wait. Naruto, Sensei showed me the seals you created using my and Tokka Senju's book. What inspired you to make them?"

"I trained a lot by myself during the academy but I wasn't sure if I was improving as I had no way to measure it, at least not precisely. I wanted to have a baseline for my overall fitness as well as be able to track whatever progress I may or may not have been making. If I had a way to measure it I still needed a way to see the data while protecting my privacy. Genjutsu are illusions but more abstractly, it's a way for chakra to project information."

"Well, it is quite ingenious. One of the reasons Sensei called me back is he felt we could make significant medical breakthroughs by working together and I agree. You may not be able to learn Iryojutsu but I can help you with the academic side of medicine."

"Why can't I learn Iryojutsu?"

"Jinchuuriki tend to struggle with chakra control and Iryojutsu requires very precise control even for our most basic techniques." Naruto nodded in understanding but he wasn't sure why she thought that would apply to him. He began to stroke his chin and after a moment realized the issue. He turned to his Oji-san with a blank look on his face.

"You didn't tell her about my chakra network did you?"

Hiruzen adopted an embarrassed look on his face, he had actually forgot about that. He didn't know how he could seeing as he almost had a heart attack when Naruto originally showed it to him. You weren't supposed to just attach things to your entire chakra system. He kicked himself for not inquiring more into why Naruto wanted an autonomous clone, he assumed it was because the basic clone jutsu was out of his reach. He promise himself that day to not just assume things about his grandson.

"I forgot. Why not show her?" Naruto nodded and slipped off his jacket and then his shirt. He fed chakra into the compressed seal located at the base of his spine. Instantly a visible outline of the human chakra circulatory system was on his skin.

"I created a supplementary chakra system to help ease the burden of my overly large capacity. I have the ability to gain whatever level of chakra control I'm willing to work for. I may not be able to do it now but I can learn Iryojutsu, my status will not negatively affect me." Tsunade dashed toward Naruto, hands glowing and she swiftly waved them across his body. Soon, the exam stopped and she looked awestruck.

"You figured it out?" she asked.

"Hai."

"Figured what out?" Jiraiya questioned. Tsunade turned to answer him.

"A supplementary chakra system isn't a new concept. The problem is it can impede the growth and development of your original because the stress and the strain we experience as we utilize chakra is directed toward the system. No one had figured out how to avoid this issue so a truly workable version was never created. How did you figure it out Naruto?"

"I didn't think of it as one giant seal. Instead I made 361 multi-layered seals and placed them on each of my tenketsu. That was tedious but the hard part was figuring out the math for the pressure seal."

"You built an exemption for a certain level of stress on your system?"

"Hai. Each time I used chakra my tenketsu are stretched just as they normally would be for anyone else. My seals just bleed off the chakra that couldn't be managed by the individual tenketsu. Once a certain level of strain is reached, the pressure seal activates and the uncontrollable chakra is redirected. But the more chakra control I gain the less I have to rely on the auxiliary system. The seal on the base of my spine operates as a control module and links each of the tenketsu seals to each other."

"You know, if you can do all of this with just the most basic of medical sciences I'm sure I could turn you into a damn fine combat medic. I'm sure Shizune would enjoy having you as a kohai. What do you say?"

"Pfft, nope! He's going to be a toad summoner not a slug. I'm going to teach him the ways of gallantry like I did for his father. Adventure, romance, and big damn hero shit. That's his future. Not being stuck in some library or treating acne."

"Did you just disrespect the medical field, Raiya-kun?" Jiraiya, once again felt his end coming toward the horizon.

"No. No, I did not and you didn't let me finish. I think Naruto learning from you is a great idea I just didn't think with his present skillset he would be best served by being your student exclusively."

"While Jiraiya-kun is clearly lying," started the age Hokage, much to the chagrin of Jiraiya, "he has a point. Thanks to Naruto-kun's mastery of the shadow clone jutsu he can be in several places at once and the feedback won't negatively affect him. At a minimum, what level would Naruto-kun need to be to really be of use to you, Tsunade-chan?"

"B-rank. How many clones can you make, Naruto? Like ten?"

"Oji-san, currently, will only allow me to produce thirty at one time. I requested fifty-"

"You told Tenzo you only needed twenty-five-"

"I didn't know I'd be undertaking new areas of study either-"

"Then you should have haggled more-"

"Mean old man." Tsunade and Jiraiya watched the pair with a fond smile. It was the most animated they'd seen the blond and while it wasn't much it did point to how close he was to their sensei.

"How many can you part with?"

"I'd feel comfortable with five. I have some projects that are really close and Oji-san is going to be making a request of me soon." They heard the older man sigh.

"You're sometimes too observant for your own good, Naruto-kun." Hiruzen down at his wrist, the last gift anyone had ever gotten him, hours of study of one little boy. "These are too useful, Naruto-kun. The reason I had you make Tsunade-chan a copy of the metrics seal is because I knew she'd understand the applications." His looking at her signaled he wanted her to speak.

"If all of our patients had an easily accessible medical history, including known allergens it could save time and thus save lives. If we could have a seal run our diagnostics and have the results in a projection it's the same thing, the more time we have for treatment the better treatment and care we can provide."

"It could also allows me to keep track of if my shinobi are training as diligently as they should be among other things. I know what these mean to you and why outside of yourself only two other people have them but I think it is time to start sharing your invention with your comrades. Of course, you'd be put on contract so you stand to make a significant sum."

"I couldn't etch enough for even a quarter of the shinobi in the village."

"Hai, I know. I've secured a manufacturer for you. They can print the seals onto the beads and guarantee their quality. Much of our trademarked seals aren't handcrafted by their creators and your inheritance has been fattened by some of the royalties from your parent's intellectual property."

"Ok, Oji-san, I'll do it. I know I was being selfish not sharing but can I get a couple of days, there are a few more I want to create by hand. After two days I'll go through the process so you start making them."

"Thank you, Naruto-kun. I'll have Jiraiya-kun introduce you to the Quartermaster then and from now on any other developments you have will go to her to start the approval process. But keep in mind, you don't have to turn over everything. It is within your rights and wise to hold some things back for your personal use."

"Hai, may I be excused? I'd like to get to work."

"Of course, my boy."

"It was a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Tsunade-san."

"Same. Send your clones to the hospital at 9am tomorrow, ok?"

"Hai. Bye Ero-danna."

"Yea, gaki, I'll see you for dinner." Naruto nodded and took off.

"I'm still pretty pissed at both of you even if the gaki lessened it. But, Sensei, I can weigh you not telling me against you allowing me to wander around unimpeded for so many years. You, however, have no such moderating facts to consider."

"Not even that my book was an ode to your ethereal beauty?" Jiraiya said in his defense.

"I know you can't write that well so if Naruto got that from your book he reached the conclusion himself. However, I am in a better mood so all flights on Air Tsunade have been grounded." Jiraiya breathed a sigh of relief prematurely. "All trains are still leaving the station, though." She said before she blurred toward Jiraiya and slugged him in the chest. He didn't fly back or even move an inch, the entirety of the force of her punch was absorbed by his body.

"It.. hurts… so… bad." he wheezed his face a vision of agony.

"Also, Shizune and I will be joining you for dinner and you will be treating." And having no more to say, Tsunade left a grin of satisfaction painted on her face.

"You village thanks you for taking that, Jiraiya. You truly are a man of gallantry."

"I… hate… you… Sensei." Hiruzen's chuckle was the response to Jiraiya's all consuming pain.

* * *

As Naruto walked through the village he was creating a research plan for his various projects. He was close to a breakthrough on his suite of communication seals but there was just something missing he couldn't quite put his finger on. He'd been attempting to create these since he completed the volumes on Fuinjutsu but had stalled without more resources. The access to the archives, which he visits everyday, along with his parents' works has helped but something was missing.

He could create what he considered a radio seal that could project voice or even thought but the range was too limited for what he wanted. Textual and visual weren't even that far. It was mildly frustrating because of how close he felt, how just one little insight or spark of inspiration could burst the dam. Then he could also complete his "Track and Trace" seal, one able to give the location of targets as well as project their discussions. A perfect tool for infiltrators. He could even create a self-destruct array so there would be no evidence.

Another idea was a chakra radar, tied to his projection seal. Using the chakra signature of the bodies around it could give a map of the surrounding areas and prevent someone from walking into an ambush. A sensor seal for non-sensory ninja. He also pretty close on that one as well.

Naruto had several similar support seals but with his training under Tsunade-san, or Sensei now, he supposed as well as him updating the defenses with Ero-danna he was going to be incredibly busy for the foreseeable future. He also had his own training to attend to, adding to his battle fuinjutsu repertoire, his ninjutsu, spending time with his friends, finding time for his hobbies. He really should have pushed for those fifty clones. Trying to create a workable schedule Naruto didn't notice a piglet running straight toward him nor taking a flying leap into his arms. He simply caught the small animal out of reflex.

"Tonton, you can't just jump at someone like that. What is wrong with you?" A young woman said, running toward the pig now in Naruto's grasp. Naruto took a good look at the woman and thought she was really pretty in an understated way. Ero-danna's book once described a character as a sexy librarian and he thought it fit her well. Dark hair and eyes, delicate features and conservatively dressed in a black, full length kimono.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what she's doing." She said, taking the piglet back, much to its displeasure as it tried to nuzzle Naruto's chest.

"It's fine… um, sorry I don't know your name."

"Shizune. Kato Shizune."

"Oh, Tsunade-san's student?"

"Yes, how did you know? I didn't think it'd be common knowledge for one so young."

"I just met her in Oji-san's office about some fuinjutsu work I did."

"Oh, that was you. Tsunade-sama was very impressed with your seals, um…"

"Uzumaki Naruto, Shizune-san. She requested I work with and study under her for a brief period, said I would be your kohai."

"Oh, so you're going to be her new apprentice?"

"No, not exactly. It'll just help if I have a sufficient level of medical knowledge. Now, back to this little one. She's a very cute piglet. I guess that's what they mean by pets take after their owners." Naruto didn't notice the slight smile that formed on Shizune's lips at the compliment as he continued speaking, "And if she has a sensitive nose she may have been after this-" Naruto retrieves a baggy from his interior jacket pocket after unzipping it. It is trail mix featuring various dried fruits, seeds and roasted acorns."

"Ah, acorns are favorite but she should know not to just pounce on someone."

"It's fine, she can have it if you want. I have plenty at home."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive." Naruto replied handing her the container.

"You're very kind, Naruto-kun. Maybe I'll see you around sometime."

"I'd like that, Shizune-san but I must be off. Have a nice day."

"You as well."

* * *

Three adults stared at a small blond in disbelief. He continued eating, unbothered by their looks. Besides, what he said was completely logical and followed Hinata's advice. He couldn't fathom he'd erred in some way.

"Naruto, I don't think you realize what you're saying." Tsunade finally spoke. She'd spent the night telling Naruto about their connection, how Kushina was chosen to follow her grandmother Mito due to her special chakra. While not blood related, they were close and Tsunade tried to look out for Kushina as best she could, missions and war permitting. When Tsunade finally left the village, Kushina was an established kunoichi and didn't need her anymore.

Tsunade went on to say Naruto could call her Obacan if he wanted. She didn't have a wide range of expected responses but she doubted she could have ever predicted his response.

"I'm pretty clear on my meaning. If you'd like me to call you Obacan I can but I feel my concerns are valid."

"That I may feel weird when you ask me out? As in date?"

"Hai."

"That'll never happen, I'm much too old for you." Naruto just shrugged.

"Age ain't nothing but a number, throwing down ain't nothing be a thing." Tsunade frowned at Jiraiya.

"Jiraiya this is your fault. I won't let him become a pervert because he's too trusting to ignore your influence."

"This isn't remotely my doing. The kid is just a natural. I'll have him a super pervert in no time."

"I will not allow it, Jiraiya. He's going to be respectful, not some deviant."

"Is that what makes someone a super pervert? Deviance?"

"Yes and a general lack of respect for women." Shizune added.

"Hey, I respect women."

"Then why do you peek on onsen?"

"Inspiration."

"For your porn." Tsunade pointed out.

"Erotic literature."

"It lacks character development." Naruto said and Jiraiya looked as if someone smacked him and the women just laughed. Jiraiya was so used to certain types of criticism of his books that the simplest one that treated it as a literary work and he fumbles. After that the foursome moved on to other topics, happily ignoring the moment of awkwardness that preceded it.

* * *

"You really asked out Tsunade Senju?" Kakashi questioned in mild disbelief.

"I more so stated my intention to ask her out in the future, Hakate-sensei."

"Hm, how did she respond?"

"She found the idea inappropriate due to the age difference."

"That's certainly a hurdle but not unmanageable. And your clones are with her now studying the medical sciences?"

"Hai. I also have five with Ero-danna to learn the basis of our barrier defenses."

"And what are the rest doing?"

"The other ten I have are working on my personal projects. Leaving ten free should I require them for something else."

"Good idea."

"SENSEI, WHEN CAN I STOP RUNNING UP THIS TREE!?" Sakura screamed. Kakashi had been guilted into teaching his team basic chakra control by the other Jounin Sensei. Luckily for him, Naruto already knew it and provided instruction. As the other two attempted, or succeeded in Sakura's case, to climb the trees Kakashi shot the breeze with Chibi all the while developing and refining his plan.

"This will help increase your reserves and your stamina. Keep it up."

"BUT I'VE BEEN RUNNING ALL MORNING BECAUSE OF NARUTO!" Kakashi looked at Naruto and he nodded.

"Keep running anyway, it's good for you. Besides a lot of running required to be a ninja." His keen sense of hearing picked up the quiet curses and insults Sakura levied against him. He had half a mind to inform her that no _that_ couldn't possibly fit _there_.

"Ugh." Sasuke grunted as he hit the ground. "Can't I just spar with one of you? This isn't going to make me stronger."

"Actually, Sasuke-kun, better chakra control can make you stronger. And faster and give you more stamina."

"It helps if you stay calm, Sasuke-san."

Sasuke grunted and nodded before continuing on.

"Alright, Naruto, today we're going to be discussing vibes." Kakashi said, starting their daily lessons on Gentleman Perversion, not that Kakashi called it that.

"Vibes?"

"Yes, vibes are important. Not only how to read the mood of a room but how to set a specific mood, how to curate an experience. Body language, mood lightning and especially music are all instrumental in ascertaining and creating a vibe."

"Oh, like _Tales Your Body Tells_."

"I'm surprised you've read that, it's hard to come by."

"I haven't, Sai told me about it."

"The boy the Sandaime wanted you to meet?" Naruto nodded. "Well, it would be good to learn about body language so I'll score you a copy and have for you tomorrow. But for tonight's homework, I want you to take this" Kakashi handed Naruto a storage scroll, "sealed are several albums of various types. I want you to listen to them, not necessarily all the way through, and write down how they make you feel and what sorts of things you could to the music. Does it make you want to be active or relaxed? Does it make you want to dance-"

"I don't know how to dance."

"You need to learn it. It'll even help with your taijutsu as dancing is often done with a partner and it will train you to read and react to their movements intuitively. The thing about dancing, it isn't a thinking activity. You have to flow from movement to movement." Kakashi saw Naruto stroking his chin, a sign he was thinking deeply about the lessons. Who knew teaching could actually be fun?

"I could ask Hinata-chan, I'm sure she'd help me learn."

"You could but don't you have another little friend? Maybe she could help."

"Ino-chan?

"Yes. Ask Ino-chan for help." Kakashi watched as Naruto was thinking again. "What's on your mind, Naruto?"

"Well, since she may be helping me I was wondering what I could do for her in exchange."

"While it is good to be fair minded, Naruto, when you phrase things as transactions or deals it can feel cold. Tell her it is in appreciation, it is effectively the same-"

"But presentation matters because intention matters. Hinata-chan helped me with that."

"Yes, excellent. Now, you run along. I'll keep these two here for a bit longer before sending them home for the day."

"Hai, bye, Hatake-sensei." Naruto was content to leave a little early. He'd gotten the memories from some of his clones, they'd finished one of the fuin bracelets and now would be a perfect time to deliver it. Hinata and he could track the other due to the tracker seals within one of the beads and he was reasonably sure Yuhi-sensei would still be with her. Naruto wasted no time getting there, even getting a little shunshin practice along the way.

As luck would have it, when he arrived to his destination, Hinata-chan and Yuhi-sensei were alone. That was preferable. While he didn't mind Shino, Kiba had become increasingly antagonistic once he started losing to Naruto repeatedly. Nothing overly mean but Kiba simply worked from the framework of competition and while Naruto enjoyed and thrived on pushing himself he didn't feel the need to prove it in everything all the time. It was trying and disappointing as he found Kiba, otherwise, a solid person. He simply couldn't deal with his vibe.

Naruto crack the briefest of smiles at his internal joke before heading over. He didn't announce himself, he suspected Yuhi-sensei was a sensor, her being the leader of a tracking team additional proof, and Hinata-chan had all seeing eyes. He simply made his way over and heard as the two seemed to be wrapping up some talk.

"Hi, Naruto-kun."

"Hello, Hinata-chan, Yuhi-sensei."

"Hello, Uzumaki-kun. What brings you here today?"

"I wanted to give you something." Naruto said before retrieving the bracelet. It was black but each bead ad a phase of the moon, the moon itself being red. Naruto handed her the new piece of shinobi jewelry and briefly went over how to use it.

"I appreciate this, Uzumaki-kun but why are you giving it to me? I didn't think you planned to make many."

"Multiple reasons. Oji-san requested I submit the designs to be produced for the village but I wanted a few people to have the ones I've made personally. You because you were always kind and patient with me and even offered advice when your mission was just to aid Hinata-chan. I appreciated and you, Yuhi-sense. Thank you." he said and supplied a small bow. Kurenai smiled at the blond. Before she could respond to his explanation Asuma arrived, cigarette in mouth and a bit of a smirk.

"Hey, gaki, I don't have to worry about some new competition do I?" He said and while the cadence was of a joke, his eyes were showing a similar emotion Naruto had seen from the Jounin before. His Oji-san had introduced him to much of his clan, even Asuma and Kono-chan. For whatever reason, Asuma didn't seem to like him but it felt more pointed. He had yet to happen on the right word for it but it was almost always there.

Normally, he ignored it. For some reason, it sparked something. He didn't understand what, he'd never felt this before but he had this sense of what Asuma wasn't saying. The silent, "you wouldn't be much competition even if you tried" as if Naruto would be utterly unappealing to Yuhi-sensei. As if it would be laughable to even consider, as if he would be twelve for the rest of his life. That spark started to burn a little hotter, a little brighter. He may only be twelve and shorter than his classmates but he was a certified seal master. What had Asuma ever mastered? Other than living in his father's shadow? Being a smug prick?

Naruto found the silent dismissal galling. Something inside of him simply couldn't ignore it. Couldn't let it go or move past it. The challenge, the condescension, the aspersion had been laid down and Uzumaki Naruto would prove himself worthy of the first, above the second, and able to reply in kind to the third. Naruto met the Jounin's gaze, his eyes unknowingly fierce. His voice as even as always, only Hinata could hear the thread of unshakable confidence in the short reply.

"Yes." Was all he said but it was Asuma's turn to hear the silent message, a wavelength shared only by men of a high enough caliber. Asuma slide in on a legacy admission. But he still could hear it as clear as if the boy had shouted it. 'And I'll take her from you too, dattebayo.' Kurenai, in the immediate aftermath would laugh it off as a joke knowing Naruto was capable of really dry humor. Asuma would only dismiss it as the misplaced arrogance of a young boy. It would take years before either realized how wrong they were. On a busy trafficway, a silver haired Jounin face deep in a book and a self-proclaimed Super Pervert hiding just outside an onsen would both be filled with great pride and knew it was due to Naruto.

* * *

 **So, I really like writing this story. I tend to lean towards drama so something light and fluffy-ish (well, for me) is a nice change of pace. That so many of you seem to dig it only encourages me more. The one difficulty I have is that I enjoy hanging out with the characters so much that if I'm not careful it'll be ten chapters before we get to Wave. So with that being said, next chapter, we are going to Wave.**

 **I truly plan to finish it on one chapter. I've seen too many fics die in Wave or get dragged down by Wave. But the tales of the Gentleman Pervert need to be told and one adventure cannot impede them.**


	6. Chapter 6

Naruto sat under one of Konoha's numerous trees, enjoying the shade and the gentle breeze. It was a warm day, Konoha days tended to be but wind offered a cooling effect. He had his face turned upward but his eyes were closed. It'd been a very busy three months. He trained daily, of course, except for Sundays. He'd had some additions to his regimen, at the suggestion of Tsunade-sensei and Ero-danna.

Tsunade-sensei recommended he do reaction time drills and gave him several examples, as evasion and quick thinking were paramount for combat medics. She also gave him a few more chakra control exercises, such as weapon balancing and underwater propulsion. Shizune-senpai was kind enough to demonstrate that exercise while wearing a two piece bikini. It was a good day, as far as the blond was concerned. He even enjoyed the medical training, as the book work was challenging but not unmanageable. Although organic chemistry was the devil. Tsunade and Shizune agreed. Thanks to his clones his knowledge and chakra control had progressed quickly enough that he was about ready to start shadowing other medics and learning advance jutsu like the Mystical Palm and Chakra Scalpels. So far, he could only do really basic things.

Ero-danna would train with him a few times a week. He helped Naruto learn how to suppress his large chakra signature as well as other techniques to improve his stealth. He also got Naruto used to fighting stronger, faster and more experienced opponents. Even free of his seals he found it difficult to get clean hits on the Toad Sage. Ero-danna had also been sharing some of his sealing knowledge and specialization. He thought the Fire Suppression Seal was amazing in its potential and it had inspired Naruto to create a new technique in conjunction with something else Ero-danna taught him, summoning.

Naruto loved being a summoner, loved the toads. He'd always liked animals but was never in a position to have a pet. But summons were great, you could treat them like friends and it wasn't weird because they could actually talk back. He'd usually summon Gamakichi and Gamatatsu a few times a week just to talk and hang out, even introducing them to Hinata-chan and Sai. He didn't think Ino-chan would take to them, yet. Ero-danna told him not to attempt to summon any of the larger toads yet, that he'd clear some time so they could do it someplace remote. Naruto agreed but there were so many to meet that not being able to summon the big three was no big deal. He'd never had so many sparring partners.

Hatake-sensei kept up with, what Naruto was calling, his soft skills training. He had to admit, while not exactly what he was expecting, Hatake-sensei was a genius instructor. He wouldn't necessarily spell things out but if you really dug into his lessons they often branched into many facets of being a shinobi. As Naruto learned to dance from Ino-chan and apply those lessons he got what Hatake-sensei meant. His taijutsu was formally good but his thinking had been too rigid. But now? He was learning, slowly, to adapt to his opponents rhythm, to their flow and use it against them.

What Naruto didn't know, and what Kakashi would never have the heart to tell him, was that the blond simply took more out of Kakashi's pervert lessons than the man ever intended. When he said dancing could help with taijutsu he was simply doing with Naruto what he had just done with Sasuke, give an abstract but acceptable benefit to an exercise he assumed his charge wouldn't want to undertake. Kakashi assumed that Naruto, like most boys, wouldn't want to learn to dance for the sake of dancing. He underestimated Naruto in that aspect and had set the boy on the path of being an eventual taijutsu beast. Maybe one even good enough to beat Gai's clone.

Naruto even received a few tips on genjutsu theory from Yuhi-sensei. She said it was in thanks of the fuin bracelet and the pencil sketch Naruto made of her stored in her storage bead. It really helped him with another seal he was creating, one nearing completion.

It wasn't all just training as Naruto made time for his friends. Outside of their usual spars, Hinata-chan and he would take walks or he would watch her decimate cinnamon rolls. He found it cute as she was so often reserved. He hung out with Sai several more times, and even got some ninjutsu out of it. Sai said his master appreciated Naruto befriending his charge so he gave him two fuuton jutsu and one doton but it was an incredibly useful one.

Sai's master, Danzo-san, even challenged Naruto to learn the jutsu and the first exercise of wind nature transformation without the aid of clones. He had managed it but it did take a few weeks to truly master the exercise, however it made learning the jutsu pretty easy so it was time well spent. When alone Naruto practice cutting other things with just his chakra, such as logs or rocks. It would practice on speed, size of the cut and amount of power generated. It was really good chakra control.

If not sparring, Sai and he would often talk about their mutual interests of art and self-help books. It was nice to find someone who had read as many as Naruto had and the boys would share insights into people and their weird behavior. Naruto even introduced Sai to Hinata-chan and Ino-chan. The four hadn't really gotten to hang out together, Ino-chan always seemed tense around Hinata-chan for some reason. Naruto assumed it was because the two kunoichi weren't particularly good friends and he resolved to make sure they spent more time together.

In appreciation for Ino-chan teaching him how to dance, Naruto agreed to go shopping with his fellow blonde. She seemed surprised when he agreed but he really didn't get the big deal. No, shopping wasn't that interesting to him but Ino-chan could be quite engaging about the topic of fashion. Naruto would listen intently, asking questions every now and again but generally just let her speak. She made sure he had a lot of casual and formal off duty wear as no friend of hers was going to be a fashion tragedy.

It was good he was receiving pay for his fuin bracelets and his other seal work as the price of clothing climbed rather rapidly. It was a unique experience for the Uzumaki, to see shinobi gush about his creation but never knowing it was him that created it. It was only made available for ANBU and select Jounin. Knowing the value of the seals, his Oji-san wouldn't clear anyone to possess if they hadn't been cleared by T&I. Naruto thought it wise but had included ways to remotely disable or destroy the seals if they ever got into enemy hands. And given that each bracelet was biometrically coded to the individual owner they were fairly secure.

Naruto was creating a system for the hospital to allow for instant access to medical histories but hadn't been too pressed to complete it. Tsunade-sensei was having her staff undergo the same process as the hospital was an ideal location for information gathering. By the time everyone was cleared he was confident he'd have the arrays ready to be installed and the individual beads to be given to the medical staff.

Naruto's life was full. He hadn't realized how lonely he once felt until all the additional people in his life took it away. Just thinking about it brought a small smile to his face. As he sat under the tall tree and enjoyed the shade and the breeze, his companion was starting to stir. Naruto was actually on a mission to retrieve Tora, the supposed "demon cat". Naruto didn't think the feline was so bad, she just didn't like her freedom being taken away. He assumed she'd likely return home when she was ready if her owner would just be patient.

He found the kitty an hour ago, Sasuke was the lead for the mission and stated they should split up to cover more ground. It didn't take long for Naruto to find her but he had no intention of getting scratched to hell so he made a deal with her. If she stayed with him, he wouldn't take her back until his teammates found them. She seemed to understand and didn't runoff. They had shared his lunch and he'd even put a temperature control seal on her collar, one similar to what he installed in the kitchen at Ichiraku Ramen Stand. Then, they just drifted off for a midday nap. But now Tora was awake and Naruto assumed it was because she sensed something or someone approaching.

The cat had good senses as it was Hatake-sensei to appeared first, orange book in hand. Sasuke and Sakura arrived soon after, both looking irate. Sasuke was the one to give voice to their displeasure.

"If you found that stupid cat why didn't you alert us?"

"Because I made a deal with her and that would have violated it. Well, the spirit of it."

"You can't make a deal with a cat, Naruto-baka." Sakura said. She just didn't understand her teammate or how he thought.

"I can and I did. Besides, if we had done what every other team did Tora would have fought us. This way she comes along peacefully and if we ever get this mission again she knows we're fair."

Sasuke, too, was often frustrated or annoyed with his teammate. Unlike most people that annoyed Sasuke, it wasn't because Naruto crowded him or was useless. He was skilled, Sasuke could admit that. He would also answer any questions the lone Uchiha had but his bluntness reminded Sasuke of Itachi's dismissiveness and it would scratch at an old wound. It was also the case that Naruto thought nothing like Sasuke but was often either outright correct or had a strong enough point the Uchiha, who was used to the binary of either right or wrong, couldn't counter it. Naruto was maddening. But what really chapped Sasuke's ass… he wasn't the favorite.

It was petty, he realized that. He shunned attention daily and had done so for years. But a part of him assumed he'd be Kakashi's favorite, that even while being difficult he'd be the one that Kakashi would give extra lessons to. And yes, Kakashi had taught him an additional katon jutsu when he hadn't taught either Sakura or Naruto one but he could tell Kakashi wasn't as engaged as he was when teaching Naruto social skills. Add to that the glut of insipid D-ranks and Sasuke was nearing something of a breaking point.

"Let's just end this stupid mission." Sasuke finally said. Naruto didn't respond, instead simply picking Tora up as he stood up and started walking toward the Hokage Tower. Tora would occasionally rub her head against his whisker marks as he scratched gently underneath her chin. Some part of Sakura found it cute, another couldn't get over the two f#*king hours she spent looking for the little beast.

Team 7 made good time to the tower and were allowed immediate entrance to the Hokage. The venerable leader was finishing some paperwork so only caught the tail end of Naruto speaking.

"And if you ever run into a piglet wearing pearls, that's Tonton. She's really cool, you two should hang out."

"~meow~"

"Naruto, pay attention!" Iruka-sensei bellowed from the left side of the room. Naruto just kept petting Tora.

"Team 7 reporting in and returning one Tora, Hokage-sama."

"Good, Kakashi-kun. Iruka-kun, could you retrieve Madam Shijimi?"

"Hai, Hokage-sama." Iruka exited the room for a moment and returned promptly with the Daimyo's wife. The woman made quite the entrance exclaiming loudly

"TORA-CHAN!" as she strutted in the room. As she approached Naruto, ready to give Tora her customary death hug she stopped at the sight of eyes as blue and hair as yellow of only one other person she knew of. She may give off the feeling of being vacuous there was a reason she was a wife and not some side bitch. She turned to the Hokage, much of the joy gone from her face as she gentle took Tora from Naruto.

"Hiruzen, we will be speaking about this." The aged Hokage saw how she looked at Naruto and knew what the discussion would entail. Most everyone else, excluding Kakashi and Naruto, were confused by the woman's sudden change in mood as they had brought her stupid cat back. Madam Shijimi exited the office and he decided to move on lest unwanted questions started getting asked.

"Well, congratulations Team 7 on a successful mission. Now, what else will we be undertaking today?"

"I believe my team is ready for a C-rank, Hokage-sama." Kakashi spoke. He got the sense Iruka was going to protest so he pinned the Chunin with a quick glare. Concern was one thing, coddling was another.

"Are you sure, Kakashi-kun?"

"Hai. It's time for me to make my final decision on whether or not this will be my team, a standard C-rank should be an adequate measure to see if they have what it takes."

"I agree, Iruka, please retrieve Tazuna-san." As fast as last time, Iruka left and returned with their client.

"Is this my protection? A cyclops and three brats? Look at yellow haired one, he doesn't even seem all there in the head and is the size of an imp." Tazuna couldn't understand how wrong and ironic his words were. As he spewed his insults Naruto was blazing through seal elements, having activated his projection seal. The goal? The first ever seal to make someone bitchslap themselves. He was nailing down the connections to the cerebral cortex when he heard his Oji-san speak.

"Naruto, stop it, now." Naruto disengaged the projection and faced his Oji-san, not understanding how the man knew what he was thinking. He wondered if it were some sort of jutsu, an Oji-san jutsu. Truthfully, Inoichi had counseled Hiruzen to look for signs Naruto was getting frustrated or angry as he may not always verbalize it. Hiruzen had and knew the beginning signs Naruto was angry was when he quirked an eyebrow. If the annoyance progressed he would stroke one of his spiky bangs. Hiruzen didn't know what came after that and didn't much want to.

"Tazuna, be at the East Gate in two hours, thank you." The Hokage said and the man recognized the dismissal for what it was and left. Hiruzen handed Kakashi the mission scroll and he looked it over quickly.

"This is a protection mission, pack for about a month and meet me at the East Gate in two hours." The team departed, all three excited for their first real ninja mission.

* * *

The team arrived at the gate, as did the client, during their schedule time. They departed in the most basic formation; Sasuke in front, Naruto and Sakura to either side and Kakashi in back, head in his Icha Icha. It was rather tranquil, the only sounds being the short conversation between Sakura and Tazuna-san. Eventually, the team came toward a puddle. Naruto never really paid attention to weather patterns but he knew a derivative of the **False Surrounding Jutsu** when he saw it. It was mentioned in several of the genjutsu guides and books he read, as well as one Yuhi-sensei demonstrated for him. He turned his head slightly to make the smallest eye contact with Hatake-sensei and he saw his sensei give a small nod.

Naruto told himself not to tense, as that would give the impending ninja a sign they'd been made. He made sure to keep his breathing normal. Awaiting an ambush was a unique experience he wouldn't really recommend. While he had tags prepared that could disrupt it, if those ninja weren't actually there for them then he started an unnecessary fight. If they were there then he could cost them much needed intelligence and since Hatake-sensei hadn't made a move, Naruto could only conclude he was to let this play out. He didn't like it, though. His instincts were of one that laid the trap, not someone that knowingly sprung a trap.

Soon the past the puddle and two shinobi leapt out of it, both wearing gauntlets with a chain attached to it. The chain wrapped around Kakashi and seemingly killed the Jounin. Sakura screamed, Sasuke got into his taijutsu stance and Naruto had his Escrima sticks out and at the ready.

"One down." One of the duo spoke before they made a beeline toward Tazuna. Sasuke took to the air, landing a spin kick on one of the shinobi with enough force to send them stumbling back into a tree. He then threw a kunai, pinning the chain to a tree. The tag team had no choice but to uncouple themselves. During this exchange Naruto had gotten closer to the action but not much. His heart was racing and he could feel the effects of endorphins flooding his body due to his first taste of real combat. But he forced himself to remain focused.

Now that the two could move freely it complicated and simplified matters. They must have been better when attacking in tandem so Sasuke did, presumably, decrease their overall effectiveness. He also introduce a host of new variables. Naruto watched the two men. If they chose to both attack Sasuke he was close enough, he believed, to intercede. If one came after Tazuna then he was prepared to set a trap and then help Sasuke. It all depended on these next moments. He felt his grip tighten on his sticks, whatever path he chose he'd have to commit to.

One of the duo ran past Sasuke, while the other continued to engage. This was it. Naruto channeled chakra to his feet, creating a two layer seal through his feet was difficult but manageable as he'd practiced it and had his clones do the same. It was going to be a simple paralysis and chakra restraint seal, with a cloaking array thrown in so the enemy ninja wouldn't realize it. Naruto waited patiently as the man approached, the distance between them shortening by the millisecond.

What Naruto had not planned for was Sasuke knocking his opponent down with a hard kick and deciding to go after the one charging toward their client, taking it on himself to "save" Naruto from freezing up. When he ran in between Naruto and the oncoming ninja he set off the seal, not even managing to finish whatever barb he was saying. He also blocked Naruto's path, slowing any attempted dash to the man preparing to stab Sasuke through the heart.

It was at that point Kakashi interceded, grabbing the man by the neck and revealing he had the other ninja in a similar hold. He eye smiled at his genin and then excused himself. About five minutes later he returned. Sasuke was scowling at Naruto, who looked on impassively. Tazuna looked panicked when Kakashi ordered him to explain. The man then told the team his story, how he was wanted by an international criminal, how his bridge would free his people and how he was desperate for help. Kakashi decided to let his team choose whether or not they would continue. Sasuke emphatically stated he wanted to go. Sakura, while not confident, agreed. His third student remained quiet, thumb and index finger on his chin.

"What are you thinking, Naruto?"

"This isn't really a bodyguard mission anymore."

"Hm" Kakashi began in interest, "explain."

"We're going to a hostile territory with our opposition on the lookout for us. This is more an infiltration, Hatake-sensei."

"That's a very interesting point. And how would that change things?"

"I don't know, I need information from the package." Naruto said and then created a clone to go speak to Tazuna. "One problem, Hatake-sensei is that any shinobi will know we are a genin squad. We have to change that." Kakashi nodded and in the background could hear Chibi's clone questioning Tazuna about the travel plans into Wave, the boatman's name and how the man generally interacts with him. Kakashi had an inkling what Naruto was planning but wanted to hear him out.

"You would suggest we each get out of our shinobi clothes and take off our headbands?"

"Hai. Anything with a clan crest, anything ninja related would tip off whoever is waiting for us. Do we know?"

"No, both of the Demon Brothers had a suicide pill on their mouths. We know whoever it is, scares them enough to prefer suicide to betrayal."

"Now read this statement, Tazuna-san" the clone requested and now Kakashi definitely knew what Naruto was planning.

"You three start getting changed into something believably civilian." Kakashi ordered. He didn't want to miss the climax.

"I don't have any civilian clothes, Kakashi."

"Do you have a rain cloak?"

"Hai."

"Then put that on, Sasuke." His students exited to the trees to change their clothes as Kakashi still watched the clone interact with Tazuna. The clone requested Tazuna sit down, and the man complied, taking residence on a stump. The clone then positioned Tazuna's head with his chin slightly raised. And without warning or preamble, the clone shot out a lightning fast jab to said chin and knocked the man out. Tazuna was in a prisoner transport scroll before he knew what hit him.

"That as an expert slumping, Clone-kun. Now, let me see it." The clone obeyed and henged into Tazuna and even said a short passage in his voice. Kakashi smiled at how clever Chibi could be, turning the client into a package and walking into Nami with no one the wiser. It was simple but the plan contained layers. With Naruto's seal mastery, he could fortify the bridge and the bridge builder's house. What was once a weakness is now a strength. With his henge abilities Naruto could bait the enemy shinobi to attack when they were prepared for it. As long as Team 7 got to Tazuna home they were in a strong position to set the terms of engagement.

And while this rested on Naruto's unique set of skills, they were his skills and he planned to use them beautifully. Kakashi wondered if he should start giving Naruto some ANBU scenarios to run through just to see how he'd respond. HIs train of thought was broken when the kids returned, except instead of a blond, a pinkette and a Sasuke he now had an auburn redhead, and two ravenettes. He was also, decidedly down a boy as Chibi was now a gray midriff wearing, dark haired girl. The eyes were the same, the whisker marks seemed to be covered over with foundation and her hair were in two pig ails going down her back.

"Sensei do you want a seal to change your hair, too?"

"Sure, Naruto. Is this the **Sexy Jutsu**?"

"Hai. It has almost no chakra cost once I transform so it shouldn't be noticeable to any but the best sensors." Naruto said in a decidedly feminine, pre-adolescent voice as she walked over and gave him a seal. Kakashi applied it to the top of his head and thought about what he wanted as he channeled chakra into the seal. Soon, his trademark silver hair was black as well as stringy. He simply brushed it back with his hand and then made his way to the forest to change.

Once he returned he had a simple blue shirt and black pants. Like the kids, he swapped out his shinobi sandals for a pair of regular ones he kept sealed. Apparently Naruto kept multiple pairs in case he had to henge into people of various sizes. Once he checked them over they made haste toward the coast. During the travel, Kakashi critiqued their performance. He felt Naruto should not have waited for the second demon brother to make a move. It wasn't a bad tactic but it was one that used his teammate as bait and with his ability with shadow clones there was reason to do so.

He also felt Sasuke should have had more confidence in his teammate. Especially don't try to quip when he was ruining a perfectly good trap. He admonished all three of them for not being prepared for a third opponent, though Naruto pointed out he knew Kakashi was watching. Right before they reached the boatman, Naruto made a clone and henged it into Tazuna. The ride over was quiet, the man obviously scared and was more than happy to see them depart from him. With the clone dispelled the foursome walked toward Tazuna's.

There was a tense moment for Kakashi, he felt himself being watched but didn't allow it to change his body language. Any hint he knew someone was there could ruin the entire play and this was the most crucial part of it. The onlooker, or lookers, let them be and Team 7 made it to Tazuna's. Naruto unsealed the drunk so he could verify they were there to protect him. It was late evening by the time they arrived and most everyone was tired. It was fortunate Naruto was not as he was going to have a long night ahead of him. By the time everyone was settling in for the night, the once again blond boy began creating his security measures for the house and had two five member teams of clones doing so for the surrounding area and the bridge.

Kakashi may have appeared to be asleep but he was wide awake running scenarios, plans and counter plans. Truthfully, if not for Chibi speaking up Kakashi would have walked Tazuna right into an ambush under the belief he could handle it. Cocky? Yes. Irresponsible? Definitely. And that was never how he ran ANBU missions. He was methodical, logical and efficient. It'd shame him that his student had to put him in the right frame of mind if said student was the chosen one and destined to do all kinds of unbelievable things as he led men into a new era.

He digressed. There was a problem, an army of bandits and an unknown number of missing ninja. Kakashi needed information and the best way to do that was to put Tazuna in harm's way. Tomorrow was going to be the opening move of the real game. Kakashi was ready, he only hoped his team would be as well.

* * *

The Demon of the Mist was starting to grow impatient. He's been waiting for the Bridge builder to return, or the very least the Demon Brothers. It could be the man was still hiding in Konoha but Zabuza just had a feeling that wasn't the case. He didn't want to kidnap the man's family to draw him out but he needed to move things along. He hated working for scum like Gato, hated being a Missing Nin. This was the fabled final job, the one last score that would allow him to charge back to Kiri and kill Yagura.

He was getting too edgy, anticipating too much. It was a bad place to be, you'd jump at everything and no longer distinguish between a real threat and a nuisance. He hoped Haku would have better luck, having be ordered to watch the bridge just in case. He just needed eyes on the old man, just one clear shot.

Zabuza turned swiftly when he heard someone traveling through the trees. They were moving fast, their landings light. He wasn't a chakra sensor but his other senses were highly trained. Given the sound and the speed he assumed it was Haku but soon all travel stopped but something was sailing through the air. Zabuza caught the item with ease, Haku's Hunter Nin mask. On the back of the mask was a short note, the first sentence making Zabuza shake with fury.

 _We have Haku._

The note demanded he show up at the bridge at midnight to negotiate Haku's release. He would never be brought so low for a tool. Instead he'd slaughter everyone there and then go to the old man's house and kill him and his entire family. Whoever these ninja were, they'd learn demons don't bargain.

* * *

Four hours previous to the delivery of the note Kakashi watched as their captive and bargaining chip was made comfortable. She'd been knocked unconscious thanks to one of Naruto's seals. Kakashi didn't know the name but the effect was something not to be ignored. The girl thought she had escaped the blast radius, only to be violently pulled back before jettisoned forward. Naruto said she didn't have whiplash but did take a nasty bump on the head.

She was good, only a seal that could read chakra capacity gave her away and the trap was sprung before she could ever put up a real fight. They now had the advantage. Kakashi sincerely doubted she was working alone but he'd have to get that information out of her to confirm. Whoever she worked for, assuming she did, had just gotten their attack force reduced and were on the backfoot. Assassins were hunters, they were used to choosing where and when. It wasn't natural for them to be on the defensive.

Once she awoke, Kakashi sent everyone out of the room. It didn't take long to get what he needed, the Sharingan was just a handy tool in situations like these. But the aftermath, her being so broken for having betrayed her Zabuza-sama didn't fill him with pride. True, this way would mean she was more than likely to survive but there is living and there is being alive. Kakashi knows that better than most. For years he was simply alive, the death he sought avoided him at every turn. He doesn't know if he's started living again but he knows he isn't where he was.

He briefed his team on the new information. They needed to know they were up against a genuine Kiri hardman. This wasn't a game, this wasn't a time where mistakes could be tolerated. Perfection was an unreasonable standard and yet it would be needed. Kakashi was confident he could take on the Demon of the HIdden Mist but things happened, no outcome was guaranteed. Being at the mercy of a fresh genin some months ago retaught that lesson. He informed them Naruto would be delivering the message via a clone. It would not risk any of them and give the boy a chance to try out an early version of his Track and Trace seal. Naruto designed the receiver seal on the spot and Kakashi assigned Sakura to listen in and the clone would keep a visual on Zabuza's location.

Two hours after the note was delivered Kakashi was contacted, via the communication seal Naruto gave the entire team.

" _Big Dog, this is Spiral 1, over_." The beauty of the seal is the wearer didn't have to speak but simply think their message. The range was limited, which is why Naruto felt it wasn't complete but it was an upgrade to the standard radios.

" _I copy Spiral 1, over."_

" _I've got a visual on Zabuza Gato and two hatchetmen, over."_

" _I've got Cherry Bomb listening in, over."_

" _Requesting permission to neutralize all parties, over."_ And there it was. His Chibi was asking for the greenlight, even if said Chibi was a clone Naruto would have to live through the act. The request made sense, Zabuza was in an enclosed space with Gato. He knew Naruto had a barrier that could end them. Could he make his sensei's son first kill be in cold blood? An assassination? Naruto wasn't a cold person. His weapons of choice could disarm, could cause a lot of damage but were not designed for killing. Neither was his taijutsu. The kid came up with an idea to avoid fighting. He wasn't a killer. But Zabuza was. A merciless one at that.

Had Kakashi's earlier admonishment of Naruto putting his teammates at risk caused an overcorrection? Or was this just an acknowledgement of opportunity? He had no time to figure it out and ultimately it couldn't matter. Should Kakashi give the order? He may protect Tazuna until Gato's men rebel and they have a disorganized riot of bandits to deal with. His negotiation with Zabuza might bear fruit. And ultimately, killing Gato when he hasn't attacked them is beyond their mandate. He had his answer.

" _Negative, Spiral 1, over."_

" _Understood, Big Dog. New orders? Over._ "

" _Follow Gato, attempt to get a seal on him, too. I have a feeling he might have his own plans. Don't overdo it and don't be seen. Over."_

" _Understood, Big Dog. Over and out."_

Kakashi released a sigh. This kids made things too intense for his money. He quickly looked at the time, it was just 3pm. There was a lot of time left before he was to meet Zabuza. Kakashi had a feeling his midnight meeting would decide the success or failure of this mission and that didn't sit well with him, at all.

* * *

 **So, remember how I said I'd finish Wave in one chapter? Uh, oops! It'll take one more but it was either that or a super long chapter that maybe didn't flow together so well. Besides, a lot of Naru/Haku interaction coming your way. Not much comedy in this one but… Tazuna is at risk of getting murdered so shit is kinda real. Anyhoo, I don't plan on making you wait long for the conclusion because A. I'm excited to write it and B. I truly want out of Wave as fast as possible. It's narrative quicksand…. I should have said undertow.**

 **Also, a recommendation. theriku260 has a pair of stories I'm really liking From Academy to ANBU and Kakashi's Mini-me. Check them out.**


	7. Chapter 7

**12:05 am Tazuna's Unnamed Bridge**

"Hatake Kakashi." the Demon of the Mist spoke, blatant edge to his voice. "Where is Haku?"

"Mah, mah, Zabuza-kun. She is safe and now under the protection of Konoha for the duration of our negotiation."

"Bad way to start, not bringing her."

"Couldn't risk you getting rambunctious before we've spoken."

"She's a valuable tool but not that valuable and won't stop me from killing you, Hatake. What do you want?"

"I want to know why two professionals such as ourselves are getting played by some small town crook and alcoholic bridge builder."

* * *

 **3:10 pm, six hours and fifty minutes before meet with Zabuza: Tazuna's House, Kitchen.**

Team 7 sat around Tsunami's kitchen table, Kakashi at the head, Naruto on one side while Sakura was on the other. Sasuke sat at the opposite end facing Kakashi. "We've got some time before I meet Zabuza and I wanted to have a brief team meeting. If you have any questions or concerns voice them now."

"If we have his partner why just attack him since he's the threat. All four of us could take him, Kakashi." Sasuke observed.

"Hm, why don't want of you tell me? True, we could likely take Zabuza, I'm confident I could defeat him myself though it'd be difficult. However, not enough to deter me should it need to happen so why take this option? What do you think, Sakura?"

"We don't have enough information?" she asked back.

"Yes, that is true. While I am fairly sure Haku was the last of Zabuza's support, the pair are not the totality of Gato's forces. We don't know how many there are, where they are stationed or what they comprise of. Are they just thugs? Former samurai? This is important but as a ninja you often don't have perfect information and waiting for the time you do can cause your mission to fail. Risk is inherent in this line of work, it can only be minimized so much. Naruto, what do you think?"

"We have a four party conflict presenting itself as a two party conflict."

"And who would the four interested parties be?"

"Nominally, Tazuna and Gato. But you and Zabuza would be the two hidden ones."

"Exactly. It is easy to think of this as us, representing Tazuna, vs. Zabuza who represents Gato. But Zabuza's loyalty is only to the extent of his pay and I not only have to try to complete the mission but do so in such a way that doesn't harm Konoha's short or long term interests either; namely protecting you three. This means Zabuza could be useful if I play this right."

* * *

 **Tazuna's bridge, 12:07am**

"What are you playing at, Kakashi?" Zabuza growled.

"I'm sure Gato told you why he needed the bridge builder clipped."

"Yes, it threatens his business."

"This massive, bi-coastal bridge. The one thing that could harm his business and it somehow manages to built to near completion before he stops it? Either he's incompetent or-"

"He's lying."

"Yup. The bridge is the last hope of the residents, they believe it will free them but if Gato has the muscle to claim an island he can manage a bridge. You killing Tazuna more or less after he finishes breaks the will of the people. C'mon now, how did Tazuna's drunken self get out of Nami under a shipping magnate and smuggler's watch? Maybe he thinks I'll kill you, Tazuna finishes the bridge and the people cheer, only to be further oppressed. On the other hand, you kill me and he lays all of this at your feet. A third option is we either kill or exhaust each other-"

"And he comes and cleans us up. It's an interesting theory but that rat wouldn't cross me."

"Betrayal works best that way."

* * *

 **3:45pm nearing Nami's Daimyo Mansion**

Gato had not been enthused by his talk with Zabuza. The man dared to think he could set the timetable and completely disregard what he, Gato, thought? When he was cutting the checks? When he was the one in control? It made his blood boil, the arrogance of that musclehead. Little better than a beast of burden and thought he could speak down to an accomplished businessman. Gato would continue to rant and rave until he was suddenly and most unpleasantly interrupted.

Before he could make sense of anything, Gato found himself on his back looking toward the sky. Then he was yanked up, as if he weighed nothing. Gato finally put eyes on the person that dared to manhandle him. A boy, teen really, brown hair and black eyes. Taller than Gato but not by much and wore a yellow shirt and blue pants. The boy seemed panicked.

"Oh, jeez. I'm sorry about that, oh jeez."

"You see what you did!" A taller, older and balding man in a white robe and brown pants said. "I let you pick, you say you get to pick every tenth time and you see! This is why you can't be in control, you run into people and get us into all kinds of shit."

"Y-you've been riding my ass since we left, you haven't even given this a chance!" the teen said before slapping at the older man.

"You wanna go? We can go!" the man said as he started tussling with the boy in earnest. Waraji and Zori eventually put a stop to it and tell the, Gato assumed, grandfather and grandson pair on their way. Gato continued on to his mansion even more annoyed than he was. The grandfather and grandson had slinked off to an alley and was soon joined by a third party.

"Did you do it?" Spiral 1 asked.

"Hai," said Spiral 2 with Spiral 3 nodding.

The first clone shunshin'd away to continue his job of surveilling Gato. The second clone activated his communication seal.

" _Spiral 2 to Cherry Bomb, do you copy?"_

" _This is Cherry Bomb, Spiral 2, I copy."_

" _I tagged Gato and his two guards. Channel, 2, 3 and 4 respectively. Over."_

" _I'll switch now. Over."_

" _Continuing surveillance, Spiral 3 and I will take the muscle should they leave. Over and out."_

As Sakura remained vigilant listening to any salient information, Sasuke and Kakashi were resting. The day would be long and rest was a premium, especially if Kakashi was going to need to use his Sharingan. A clone of Naruto's was helping Tsunami around the house, as a guest should. The original was sitting in a spare bedroom holding a snow rabbit observing Haku. She was clearly in pain but she would confess her physical pain barely merited a mention compared to her emotional distress. She looked broken, utterly broken.

"Kill me." she whispered. "I have no value to you, I am simply a broken tool so I also have no value to Zabuza-sama."

When she heard the boy walk toward her a traitorous part of her flinched, a pesky will to survive that was unbefitting a tool and a betrayer. She forced herself to relax, to the best of her abilities as her back was incredibly sore. She heard the boy move deliberately, she didn't bother to make eye contact as she just wanted it over. Closer and closer he walked, until she could feel his body heat. He moved his hand to her right arm and pinched her, hard.

"Ow!" she exclaimed as he sat back down. "Why did you do that?"

"I've never, not once, heard a kunai shout in pain. We've established you are not a tool and as such, killing you because you are broken is a fundamentally flawed argument."

"You're wrong, that's exactly what I am. I have no more purpose, I have no reason to live."

"What purpose was so significant that to fail it means you should die?" Naruto decided to ignore the tool talk, she seemed committed to it. For the first time Haku made contact with the boy.

"To protect the person that saved me, my sole precious person."

"Zabuza isn't dead."

"I've still put him at risk, I've failed in my duty. What greater shame is there?"

"I've never felt ashamed before but I've seen it. My Oji-san had to explain it to me. He has to explain a lot of that stuff to me. Anyway, I remind my villagers of a tragic day. They ostracize me because of it and have for as long as I can remember. For most of my life they looked at me in fear and apprehension. It changed in the last two years and I didn't understand it, hence asking my Oji-san. Most people would likely rank mistreating a child as one of the worst things you can do and yet my villagers did that. However, their reasons started to falter and it created cognitive dissonance. If they didn't find a way to stay angry at me they may have to acknowledge me as what I truly am and then acknowledge what their actions make them."

Haku was so absorbed in her story that she forgot about her own shame for a moment. "Do you hate them?"

"No. They are trapped and can't face themselves. If I were what they said I was but changed they'd likely accept me more as it would have proven them right. But, they can't redeem me because I don't need it. They want to rid themselves of the burdens they carry but the process scares them. I think, objectively that's sad though I don't feel sad for them."

"Why would you tell me this?"

"Because shame is an acknowledgement that, for whatever reason, you failed at something and failed yourself. But failure is rarely the end of things. My best friend once called me a proud failure because I never let setbacks stop me from trying."

"This is different!"

"Maybe. But even still, your precious person is still alive and there is more than one way to protect someone."

Haku was starting to get annoyed at the emotionless boy. "Well, my way is to assure Zabuza-sama can achieve his ambition but if he has to rescue me I'm only in the way."

"What's his ambition?"

"To overthrow Yagura, the Mizukage. The man that started the bloodline purges, the man that made people fear those with bloodlines, the one that… he's a monster and Zabuza-sama wants to usurp him but that takes resources."

"It's only the two of you?"

"Yes, if the Demon Brothers are gone."

"You can't fight a rebellion with two people."

"We'd raise an army."

"Oh, so he has contacts in Kiri?"

"Not that I'm aware of. All the people he had died against Yagura, except the Demon Brothers."

"So, he takes missions with the intent to return to Kiri, raise an army of people with little connection to him and kill a sitting Kage?"

"Yes." she said heatedly, not likely this boy criticizing Zabuza.

"Sounds like you aren't the only one ashamed." Haku went wide eyed at the boy's pronouncement. She dedicated herself to protecting Zabuza-sama, insuring he'd eventually return to Kiri and save it. But if he truly was forestalling his return then she'd failed entirely. She really was useless.

"What's your bunny's name?"

"What?" Why couldn't he let her breakdown in peace?

"Your bunny, what is his name?"

"Chappy."

"Do you think Zabuza needs the same kind of protection Chappy does?"

"Are you mocking me?"

"Not intentionally, no." Naruto said looking at Haku unblinkingly.

"What is your point?"

"In Konoha we believe in the Will of Fire, the idea that everyone in the village is family and everyone looks after everyone else."

"That didn't seem to apply to you."

"You can't judge a method by a single outcome, Haku-san. When Oji-san was telling me what a Hokage did he said he had the ultimate job of protecting Konoha and passing on the Will of Fire. I was confused for a while after that talk. He sits in the office most days, how is he protecting anything? Eventually, I realized there three types of protection; taking someone's burden, sharing someone's burden, and preparing them to face their burdens. Oji-san could do the first one for major threats but mostly did the latter two. Including allowing an orphan to not think he'd always be an outsiders unable to understand those around him."

"And which one does Zabuza-sama need?"

"I couldn't possibly know, I don't know him. But it'd take more than a tool to figure it out." Naruto sat Chappy down and unsealed a jar from his mass storage seal. "This ointment is a pain reliever. If you have trouble putting it on let me know and I can help."

"Hentai!" Haku yelled and Naruto looked confused.

"I'd only see your lower back. Are lower backs titillating? Can you have a lower back fetish? I'll have to ask Oj-san about that. He really wasn't specific." Naruto said, mostly to himself as Haku watched on in disbelief. The boy was odd. "Anyway, I'm training in the medical arts so this would be a form of treatment, not an attempt to oogle you."

"I'm fine, boys your age get ideas."

"You're the one talking about lower back fetishes." Naruto said in confusion. He grew even more confused when the kunoichi laughed as he exited. Haku opened the jar of medicinal cream and rubbed on her back with great effort but she bore it all the same. Within minutes the cream had taken effect and she felt good enough to move to the bed. She picked up her faithful companion and thought deeply by the perplexing blond's words. Had she been mistaken about what Zabuza-sama truly needed? Did he need more than a tool? If so, what was it and how could she become it? She'd circle around these thoughts until she drifted off.

* * *

 **12:10 am; Tazuna's Bridge**

"You still haven't told me what you want, Kakashi."

"To procure your services. It shouldn't be too hard to make Gato disappear. Then you can take what he was going to pay you and be on your merry way."

"Back out of a contract? Just because I'm a missing ninja doesn't mean I have no honor. Besides, your Bingo Book bounty would be a nice bonus."

"Mah, that assumes you'd be alive to claim it. Do you really want Gato's men to kill you because you exhausted yourself fighting me? Unless, that's exactly what you want."

* * *

 **3:57pm Gato's Hideout/Nami's Daimyo Mansion**

"Waraji, Zori, how would you characterize our men?" Gato asked.

"Fodder, mostly," Zori spoke.

"I'd estimate ten are solid but still a cut below us, why?" Waraji asked.

"I don't trust Zabuza can get to the bridge builder. He was supposed to be on the lookout for that drunk pest's return but somehow the man managed to get back and Zabuza didn't even know. And he was alone today, what happened to the other three members?"

"Dead, most likely. Or captured, Zabuza did say he would meet the other ninja on the bridge." Waraji answered.

"If they are captured, he's compromised and may turn on me. And with the attention of a ninja village, we're going to need to go underground but not before I extract my pound of flesh."

"What are you planning, Boss?" Zori asked.

"I want you to get the men ready, have most go to the bridge. Tell them to handle the ninja and blow the bridge. Have our best go to Tazuna's. Kill him, kills his family."

"And what about us?" Waraji questioned.

"As soon as they move out, we're going to get on my ship and get out of here. I hate to lose territory but I've broken Nami once, I can break it again." The two bodyguards left the mansion each going to a separate complex where Gato stored his men. Neither realized they had a tail.

Back at Tazuna's, Sakura informed Kakashi of the developments and he hummed in satisfaction. Kakashi thought he'd need to spur Gato on to betray Zabuza but it appeared the man was rather distrusting and cowardly. He could make use of this but he had no intention of fighting an army of bandits. He could do it but putting forth that much effort wasn't cool. Besides, he had Chibi here and he was confident the blond could come up with something.

"Sakura, get the real Naruto and have him come here."

"Oh, great, more ways to avoid fighting." Sasuke scoffed.

"You say something, Sasuke-chan?" The Uchiha bristled.

"We aren't going to get stronger if we don't challenge ourselves, Kakashi."

"And by challenge you mean open combat with an unknown number of enemies? No physical descriptions? Not even a word on their locations yet?"

"We could take them."

"Possibly. But could we do it and avoid innocent bystanders? Do we know if they have hostages? Have they rigged their barracks to blow? Your challenges will come, Sasuke." The Uchiha scowled. He hated how useless he's felt this entire mission. Intellectually he can attest to Kakashi's approach but it is one that leaves him with little to do. He can't get real experience if he doesn't fight, he certainly can't awaken his Sharingan. As Sasuke was getting lost in his thoughts, Naruto walked in.

"You wanted to see me, Hatake-sensei."

"Yes, I need to ask you something but first, did Sakura fill you in on what Gato plans to do," the boy nodded, "good, good. Is there a way to tag each of Gato's men, without them knowing it so we can activated once they get to the bridge?" Naruto thought about this and then squinted.

"You would like me to create a seal that implants other seals on people without their knowledge? Maybe put it in the main exits, like a barrier that doesn't impede them but can chakra write a seal in thin air?" Kakashi sweatdrop at the summation. He guess it did sound ridiculous once laid out. A trap seal would be fine except there was a chance they'd miss some of them and he wanted to avoid that if possible.

"Did you hear me, Hatake-sensei?"

"I'm sorry, lost to my thoughts, what did you say?"

"I said it might take an hour if I don't rush it."

"Wait, you can actually do this?" Naruto looked at him blankly.

"I outlined the elements, sensei. A barrier, placed on the exits that can chakra write. Well, it'd be more like a replicator array. A cloaking layer so it goes unseen. Multiple triggers, maybe pressure and… body heat? At the bare minimum what must the effect be, Sensei?"

"I just need something that won't allow them to flee or attack."

"Yes, I believe I can accomplish this. I'll be outside if you need me."

Sasuke watched the interaction but didn't get the significance of what he'd heard, it was only Kakashi's question that clued Sasuke in that Naruto may have done something impressive. He knew his teammate used fuinjutsu, a rare skill set but because it was so rare it was hard to gauge when something was truly a demonstration of skill or if it just looked that way to the ignorant.

"Kakashi, how good is Naruto at fuinjutsu?" Kakashi formed an eye smile.

"You'll have to ask him yourself."

"Hn."

Elsewhere, a small boy watched as Naruto settled onto the dock of the pond near Tazuna's. The boy had been experienced a whirlwind of emotions when his grandfather informed him he was leaving to purchase the aid of real life ninja. Inari hadn't held out much hope, he hadn't felt hope in years. His hero died and no one lifted a hand. To his small mind that must have meant Gato was simply too powerful, his father had tried to do the impossible. What were a few ninja going to do that an entire village couldn't?

He'd held firm on that belief even when the ninja arrived. They didn't look that impressive, most of them weren't much older than him. What were some kids going to do? What could they do? He started to feel angry. At them for giving his mother and grandfather false hope. At the adults for believing in some weirdo Cyclops and his children. But he wouldn't explode, not yet. They'd show themselves to be inadequate and he'd tell his grandfather it was always a bad idea. But then, something amazing happened.

Inari watched as one of the kids, the blond, made copies of himself. Copies that could walk and talk and think all on their own. Then he watched the blonds paint these weird symbols outside of the house and then made it emit a glow. The blond made another painting, on paper and then had the entire family place their thumbs on the symbol. Inari felt something pass over him. It was cold and hot at the same time. Once that was done the boy explained they were now safe, that no one but the family and his team could come in without being allowed to.

Inari saw something he hadn't seen in years, his mother relaxed. As if years of tension had melted away, the blond assured his mother she was safe and she believed him. And as much as he hated it, Inari believed him, too. He then watched as the team had ways of communicating without actually speaking and could transform to look and sound just like his Grandpa. They even caught an enemy ninja. Overthrowing Gato didn't seem so impossible now.

Hope battled the tragedy induced pessimism Inari had wrapped himself up in since his father's death. He stopped believing in heroes but his young mind couldn't discount what he'd seen. It was magic as far as he was concerned. Real life magic. He wanted to talk to the fellow boy, to understand how he was strong and unafraid of Gato. He wanted to know a great many things but he decided to wait and watch. They hadn't truly saved his grandfather yet.

Naruto knew he had watchers but worked diligently. His self-imposed deadline was fast approaching and he didn't want any unnecessary delays. The seal, as he told Hatake-sensei, would at its most basic be a barrier. A simple one that could allow passage if the creator so chose. Naruto then added various arrays to the barrier level, not only the tag that would be applied to Gato's men but the replicator and discharge arrays that would actually apply it to the skin, as well as a cloaking seal inside the tags so they aren't visible even when applied. That took the longest as instead of doing a multi-layer seal for that part, he did a multifactorial array all on one level.

This, to Naruto's mind, is what fuinjutsu so complicated. Most people tried for really complex multifactorial seals. Every seal is a collection of arrays but some have been worked out enough to essentially function as one. No one needs to think about the ignition and combustion parts of an exploding tag, it's been standardized too long for that. But adding an exploding tag array into other arrays means you have to compensate for the various elements, sometimes making certain aspects less efficient so it could coexist with others.

Seal masters understand how to get around this issue but it does take time. Multi-tiered sealing allowed for dedicated arrays to function as they should with the translation happening after the function took place. More people didn't do it, Naruto was told by Jiraiya, because the theory was so underdeveloped and seemed magnitudes harder than the multifactorial method.

The second tier would act as the activation trigger, pressure and body temperature with a tracker array so multiple targets could be identified and tagged at the same time. The last tier would be the most experimental of the three. One of the jutsu Naruto learned was the **Earth Style: Subterranean Voyage**. He thought incorporating that ability to merge with solid surfaces would do well with his fuin beads, especially once he figured out his information system seals. Once Naruto had drawn out the seals on separate scrolls, Naruto layered them and then performed a series of hand signs. The three individual seals merged into one and then compressed into something new. The compression sealing jutsu was an Uzumaki original and one that they shared with the larger sealing community.

Naruto activated his projection seal as he looked at his work and the contacted the relevant parties.

" _Spiral 1,2, and 3; this is Spiral Prime, copy?"_

" _This is Spiral 1, I copy."_

" _Spiral 2 here, I copy."_

" _Spiral 3, copy."_

" _Activate projection seals and memorize what you see. Big Dog wants them on every exit of Gato's and his army's complex. Over."_

" _We applying these to our spare fuin beads? Over."_

" _Hai, you are. Spiral Prime, over and out."_

The three shadow clones memorized the details of the tri-level seal, taking a moment to pull it apart. They had orders but new fuinjutsu was presented to them and they had see what it did. Once they did, each summoned a number of blank fuin beads from the mass storage seal and applied the compressed seal via chakra. Each clone would infuse a little chakra into the beads before tossing them into various door frames and watched as the bead sunk before he was no longer visible. The process should have been harder but Gato's men were so arrogant they didn't believe anyone would actually attack them so they had no guards. Gato, however, simply had sent his guards away and was unprotected.

It took not even five minutes to setup the barriers and the clones were back to their hiding spots before anyone knew. They settled back in ready to surveil their targets until told otherwise.

Back on the pier, the original Naruto had unsealed a cylindrical pillow and propped his head up. He was in need of a nap. He'd been a little keyed up, not that anyone knew, and hadn't slept well. The last seal was taxing on his tired mind so he thought a nice nap by the water would be justified. He was asleep as soon as he head hit the pillow. Inari went back to the house when he saw Naruto fall asleep. Haku, with Chappy, watched the boy that had thrown her world in such disarray.

The boy that so easily made her question much of her reality, her place in Zabuza's life and her very identity. She was confused and wanted a way to dismiss his words. But she would return to his story, about the villagers that couldn't face themselves so they continued to blame him. She didn't want to do that, she wasn't a coward. She was a too- the thought ended abruptly as Haku rubbed her arm where Naruto pinched her. Was she still a tool? Should she had ever been one? Could Zabuza-sama have already achieved his dream had she been better? Or simply more? Something other than a thing in need of orders?

If she had her own will, if she were acknowledge as an equal would Zabuza-sama be more confident? Was his delays her fault? She didn't like those thoughts, hated feeling unsure. Her feet moved toward Naruto. He looked so different asleep. Peaceful and so young. Some part of her wanted to strangle the life out of him for implanting such doubts in her head. She crouched down and debated. He was a bad, evil boy and his master made her betray Zabuza-sama. She had every right to hate them. Even if he knew pain like hers. Even if he had tried to care for her and even made her laugh.

But would killing him help Zabuza-sama? Is that enough reason to do it? Did she want to kill this boy? When was the last time she asked herself what she wanted? It'd been too long, at least for anything important. She was so tired and confused. Who was she? What was she? Her eyes burned, she wanted to be outside her head. She wanted… she didn't know. She didn't know anything. It scared her, to not know. The future felt open and shrouded. Her exhaustion, physically and emotionally, took over. She settled in beside Naruto. Chappy and she could hate Naruto after a nap.

* * *

 **12:15 am Tazuna's Bridge**

Gato's men had arrived just as they'd been ordered to do. The two ninja weren't fighting, simply talking. This wasn't the plan, they were supposed to exhaust each other first. Some of the men didn't care and believed their numbers would be enough. Others, having heard stories about shinobi, were less confident. All were on edge, their nerves running away from them. One man had an arrow nocked but his arm was starting to tire. Then, in the background an explosion was heard. It started the man so much he shot his arrow.

The projectile tore through the sky and all took it as the signal but they waited, hoping the two shinobi would be distracted as well. Maybe the arrow would kill one of them, improving their odds even more. It was hard to track in the night but many strained their eyes just to get a glimpse. It neared the two ninja, growing ever closer and then it struck… the ground, twenty feet from either target.

"I guess you were right, Kakashi. I've got some vermin to slay." Zabuza growled as he unleashed his killing intent.

Kakashi simply channeled some chakra to a seal he had wrapped around his wrist. Zabuza was confused when he heard the men yelling and what sounded like numerous collisions. He ran toward the cowards that would dare double cross him, just to see dozens of men struggling to break apart from each other. They were in a massive dogpile, all shouting to be free. Some had been impaled on their weapons, others injured as they were tossed into another person. The first part of Naruto's trap was an attraction seal. Each seal would be attracted to everyone like it within a certain range and with such great force none of the men could fight it.

Kakashi soon tired of their shouts of pain and distress deciding to activate level two. Soon, the bridge and the surrounding areas were quiet as Naruto's knockout array worked perfectly. This ended just how Kakashi liked, with bare minimum effort so he could still look cool. Zabuza could only summarize his current state in one way.

"What the fuck just happened?"

Elsewhere, Gato was terrified. He couldn't even bluster nor beg, his mind wouldn't form the words. His bodyguards and he were on their way to his ship, cash in tow. Twenty feet from the ship's dock they watched as it exploded. Then, from the darkness these metal things flew and pierced Waraji and Zori in their arms and legs. The men were down but their cries of pain were silenced when a swift kick to each of their heads.

When Gato saw who prevented his escape, he realized it was a mere child. He was set to yell at the little punk because a chop to the back of his neck ended it. Moments later he was tied up with his men, who had been thoroughly disarmed and they were being drug like carcasses. It was over, he knew it. No amount of begging would save him. If his men found out he was going to abandon them they'd turn on him as well. His life was over.

At Tazuna's, Sakura, Naruto and Haku watched as ten men were knocked out in a ball of human flesh. Sakura was amazed at the seal, having been given the controls. Haku, too, was impressed and wondered what the blond's limits were. She was also, thankful, he seemed to prefer no lethal means as she may be far worse off than she was. Naruto, marveled at the tea. It was really good tea. He made note to ask Tsunami-san about it. Some might be surprised by his focus but truthfully, seals were easy. Good tea, now that's hard.

It wouldn't be morning until Tazuna and his family were informed Gato had been captured. Inari would round up the villagers, all willing to dispense justice on the tyrant. The danger had been neutralized but Team 7 had to wait for the bridge to be finished. None seemed to mind. It may be boring from that point on but how many people could say they managed to liberate a country in two days? Kakashi was pleased with the actions of his team, though Sasuke choosing to fight instead of using the seal was a little worrying. He knew before he took the mission he was going to keep them but this made him all the more confident in his decision. And best of all, the thing that stood out the most? Chibi got an enemy kunoichi to snuggle with him. He truly was the one.

* * *

 **Wave is done! There will be some resolution and then we're back in Konoha. Chunin Exams are coming but not for a few of chapters.**


	8. Chapter 8

Team 7 plus one stood inside the Hokage's office as the leader of Konoha read over Kakashi's report. The man's face was impassive, not giving one hint at what he may be thinking. Once he finished the scroll he sat it down and steepled his fingers, looking at the lone Jounin. Kakashi met his gaze. The Copy Ninja appeared more visibly resolute than he normally did, his own lackadaisical manner shelved for the moment.

"Is all of this true, Kakashi?"

"Hai."

"Hm. Well done, Team 7. You are no longer provisional but full ninja of Konoha, congratulations. If you and Haku-san, will excuse us, I'd like to have a word with Kakashi." As the team headed toward the door, the Sandaime stopped them. "Oh, Naruto-kun?"

"Yes, Oji-san?" This startled the other members of Team 7. They'd heard Naruto speak about his Oji-san but never had he referred to the Hokage as such in their presence nor given any hint that's who he was speaking of this entire time.

"Sai-kun and the regular escort will be on training ground 23 at 7am tomorrow."

"Hai."

The team departed after that, Kakashi already informing them they would have two days off from training and missions. As they left, both the Sandaime and Kakashi saw Sasuke's reaction, a glint of suspicion that Naruto was receiving something the Uchiha hadn't. It didn't portend for great things in the immediate future but that would have to wait for now.

"Kakashi, what were you thinking? You should have either cancelled or immediately called for backup as soon as those missing ninja attacked."

"I truly believed I could handle any unforeseen risks that would arise."

"Yes, but you didn't handle it. Tell me, if you didn't have a seal master on your team how do you think this would have played out?"

"I would have had to fight Zabuza as we entered Wave, maybe I win but with my concern for my students I couldn't go all out and if his apprentice had attacked with him I could have been overwhelmed."

"Yes, this Haku person. She seems close to Naruto-kun and this doesn't seem to bother you."

"Those two grew closer during the mission. I made sure to watch them, Hokage-sama. She's not a threat, just a young woman trying to figure herself out. They did spend a lot of time together because for whatever reason they understand each other."

"And after years of being with Zabuza, he goes to Kiri but she comes here?"

"She's not a killer. Zabuza knew it, I can see it. I suspect even you can pick up on that."

"Hm, I will allow this for now but if this is some trick by Zabuza or Naruto-kun gets hurt all responsible will know my displeasure." Kakashi's expression didn't change but he shivered at the thought of the Sandaime's displeasure being expressed. It generally included fire. Lots of fire. How a lifetime smoker could have that great of lung capacity defied logic.

"I'm confident the last thing she wants is to harm Naruto, sir. I wouldn't put Minato-sensei's son at risk."

"Yes, from the report I can tell. What really made you call the clone off?"

Kakashi sighed before answering," I know each of my students will have to take a life eventually but heat of combat and an assassination are different. They feel different and there is generally a reason the former happens before the latter. I don't know how Naruto would handle it and I think that's the main reason, I couldn't be sure he wouldn't be overwhelmed."

"I understand, Kakashi. The instinct to not throw them into the deep end is understandable but situations change and you may not always have that choice. With all that being said, this was well done. I'll likely have Shikaku add this to the Chunin seminars in the usage of basic techniques and advanced tactics."

"Yes, you trained Naruto well." Kakashi said with a hint of accusation.

"I have done almost nothing in terms of direct training of Naruto-kun. Hints? Stories or suggestions? Yes. But little beyond that. Why, what's the problem?"

"My team is unbalanced. Gravely unbalanced. C-ranks are supposed to push the team but with Naruto, his sealing abilities and his mentality, they change things. If I allow him to operate at his full capacity, I sideline Sasuke and Sakura. If I hold Naruto back, the other two will get more direct experience but are also at greater, unnecessary risk.

The question becomes who do I stunt? I want my team to grow but I truly underestimated how prodigious Naruto was. That seal he created to tag Gato's men, he finished it in an hour."

"I saw that. I will have to see about incorporating that into our entrances. Good way to stop infiltrators. I do see your point, Kakashi. The next C-rank you wish to take, I'll have Naruto be unavailable and we can go from there."

Kakashi nodded and was dismissed. Hiruzen thought about his grandson, it seemed the boy demonstrated his genius over the sealing arts ran deeper than any imagined on a regular occurrence. While great, Kakashi was right. Genin weren't meant to be masters over any shinobi art, not even prodigies could claim mastery. Hiruzen reasoned he might have to push Kakashi to enter his team into the upcoming Chunin Exams. They were still a few months away but Naruto-kun wasn't a genin. The old man started running through plans, ways to ensure Naruto could be promoted, justly. He'd arrange for Danzo's agent to be more available, the boys really pushed each other and Hiruzen would look the other way as Danzo supplied Naruto-kun with more ninjutsu.

He'd also have Jiraiya start to really put him through the ringer. Naruto-kun had done well training himself but it was time to find and surpass his limits. He'd even increase the shadow clone limit. This, of course, would only further the gap between him and his teammates but it was necessary. He didn't want to push his grandson too hard, like Kakashi he wanted to ease the boy into the lifestyle. But like Kakashi, he was trying to fight against an unstoppable wave. Naruto-kun wasn't someone that could stay hidden, his conversation with the Daimyo and Madam Shijimi made that clear. The Chunin Exams, they wouldn't be able to hide him after that.

* * *

Haku and Naruto walked through the village. She discretely observed the villagers and could see many did seem uncomfortable when they laid eyes on her friend. She thought it such a waste, what they were missing out on by keeping him at arm's length. She'd come to truly appreciate his presence as she was dealing with her developing sense of self and her relationship with Zabuza-sama. That she could sit in complete silence with him and not feel uncomfortable nor pressured to speak was a comfort. He never judged her, never demanded anything from her. It was welcomed. He even let her cry on his shoulder when she and Zabuza-sama agreed to part company.

Her master had finally come clean, his delay in going back to Kiri being due to the humiliation of his defeat. How she had become his excuse; her unwillingness to kill a sign she wasn't ready. He'd used her as a way to not face himself and she'd done the same. It was a difficult discussion but the first one they'd had as more than master and servant. He decided to return to his home, to fight for it whatever the state of the rebellion was in. It was reflexive, her desire to go with him but there was another part of her that wanted something different. That wanted to learn more about herself and not be on the run or in the middle of a war. To her shock, Zabuza-sama understood and gave his blessing.

That was a week after Gato's fall. After that, she spent more and more time with Naruto when he wasn't on duty. They'd train together, sit on the dock or walk around Nami. When she revealed her bloodline limit, Naruto was fascinated by it. So much so, he stayed up all night working on something, even summoning a small toad for help. The next day he showed her his work, having her channel some hyoton chakra through a seal. The result? Shaved ice. What he had requested from the toad? Various fruits that could be made into syrups. They spent the day giving Sno Cones to the children. She found it endearing that his first thoughts weren't battle applications but a way to make people happy, even if it were just momentary.

"Haku?"

"Hm?" she replied, having been lost in thought she'd simply followed Naruto without paying much attention.

"We're here, your room is next to mine."

She didn't quite understand what he meant by that as she assumed she'd stay with him for the short term, until she got on her feet. As they climbed the stairs they stopped at a plain looking door.

"You have to channel chakra through the door knob." Naruto said. Haku did and she watched an intricate seal appear on the door for a brief moment before the door unlocked and she walked through. The apartment was cozy, the living room had a blue couch and matching chair. A dark oak coffee table and television stand. There was a small kitchen table in between the living room space and the kitchenette. She walked toward one of the doors and saw it was a bedroom, the bed adorned with chocolate brown sheets and one nightstand. Chappy even had his own bed, as he was peacefully napping. She walked toward the closet and saw it full of women's clothes and shoes, all her size. The Yuki clanswoman was confused.

"N-naruto, where are your things? And did you do this? For me?"

"Next door, this is your apartment. I had Gamakichi request Ino-chan's help so she picked all of that out. Ero-danna put up the security seals. Remember when I had you channel chakra into that seal on our way here? It was so the security would recognize you as its primary users."

Haku rushed over to the boy and hugged him. "Thank you, Naruto. I'll pay you back as soon as I can."

"You don't have to. I own the building now, besides you're my friend." He said, as if that explained the entire world. She almost wanted to cry, having her own space to do with as she pleased. To have a home, it was almost overwhelming. Naruto simply hugged her back, not truly getting the significance of his gesture. She needed a place to stay, would likely want or need new clothes so he took care of it. It was Ero-danna that recommended he buy his building.

The building wasn't in his name, but that of his company, UzuNami; it even had a sealing subsidiary named Vortex Seals. It was an attempt to keep Naruto anonymous and keep any inquiring minds from investigating why a twelve year old orphan was becoming obscenely wealthy in such a short time. It also helped hide the transfer of his inheritance and the IP of his parent's seals to Naruto. Due to that, allowing Haku a room for however long she needed it simply wasn't a burden.

Haku soon released the hug, wiping the unshed tears from her eyes. Naruto started for the door, but not before asking if she were up for meeting some of his friends later. She agreed and Naruto exited, only to see Ero-danna standing at his door.

"Ero-danna?" he said and saw the sage lower his head.

"Gaki, you have to stop calling me that."

"But you said you were a super pervert in your introduction."

"Granted but still, how am I going to get some ladies if you keep calling Master Pervert?" Jiraiya watched Naruto stroke his chin.

"Were you getting ladies before I started calling you that?"

"Why you little brat!" he exclaimed with no real heat and Naruto cracked a small smile at his godfather's antics. He found the man amusing. "I'm here on a mission, gaki. Someone has some seal work I've never been able to decipher, I want you to check it out and on the way you can tell me about your first C-rank and this enemy kunoichi you romanced."

"Romanced? I didn't romance anyone. I think you'd do better with women if you knew what romance meant, Jiraiya." Naruto spoke in response, looking at Jiraiya in mild confusion.

"I wrote the book on shinobi romance."

"Your female characters are underdeveloped."

"I swear, everyone's a critic." Jiraiya said in defeat as the two left the complex. Jiraiya led Naruto to a secure ANBU facility and guided the boy through the series of tunnels until they arrived at a sealing chamber. Jiraiya walked in, Naruto right behind with Anko sitting on a hospital bed, she was clearly surprised to see Naruto.

"What's the half pint doing here, Jiraiya-sama? I don't want some amateur looking at my seal."

"Relax, Anko. Naruto is a certified seal master, the one Sensei was telling you about."

"The one that invented this?" she said, holding up her wrist to show the fuin bracelet.

"One and the same. Also, that is a secret so please don't spread it around."

Anko didn't seem sure. She knew Jiraiya wouldn't mess with her, not about this but it was difficult to believe a newly minted genin could do something a Sannin hadn't managed. However, beyond her misgivings, she was desperate to be free of the seal and if the kid could help even slightly it would be worth it.

"Ok, blondie, let's see what you can do." Naruto nodded and then approached. He performed a series of hand signs and then activated his projection screen as he watched the seal decompress. To Anko, it looked as if he were staring off into space but Jiraiya had seen him assembly and disassembly seals through his projection to know the boy was already at work. Naruto checked over the elements of the seal, multiple times. It was a pretty complicated seal and one of the reasons it was so hard to move, besides having a decent enough compression array, was it immediately grafted itself onto the chakra network. But that wasn't impossible to get around.

It was the other elements that had Naruto confused so when he muttered, "That's not right," he had the two adults in the room interested in what the Uzumaki was seeing. If they'd asked, Naruto would have told them. The seal had a stored consciousness within it as well as another type of energy that Naruto didn't immediately recognize as chakra. It had limiters placed within the seal, to handle aggression as well as muscle activity, as if there was an expected increase in strength the body couldn't fully handle and would breakdown if it weren't capped in some way.

There were some other things in here as well, such as a mild enhancement to one's healing rate and improvements to reaction time and awareness. However, Naruto came back to the limiters and control. Nothing within the seal could account for why they would be necessary or how that other energy was tapped into. There was no array that led to it but he could tell the seal was meant to respond to it. It was a puzzle and Naruto wasn't happy.

The blond could feel he was missing something obvious, making an erroneous assumption but he couldn't see what it was. It wasn't located in the seal, he'd been thorough in his analysis. While the seal was triggered by the inflicted chakra system, it only activated it, the seal was wholly complete as is. If it wasn't the seal itself, maybe it was the application.

"Anko-chan, how was this seal applied to you?"

"I was bitten." she spat. That surprised Naruto, he'd never heard of a seal being applied from the mouth. He started thinking of why that would be. Seals materialised via chakra are generally done so by the hand, could the bite be significant, Naruto wondered. He activated his diagnostic jutsu on the seal, having up to this point assumed it was either ink or chakra based. The diagnostic jutsu showed something else, it was a hybrid seal of chakra and some time of organic compound; one that must react to the stored energy. Naruto was dismayed at the idiocy of the seal.

Organic compounds, enzymatic or otherwise, that can react and interact with chakra weren't new; chakra poisonous wouldn't exist it they were. However, there is a reason chakra is comprised of yin and yang; enzymes can destabilize chakra and the subsequent reactions essentially override the intentional aspects of human chakra. The control people have is gone, given over to a purely natural reaction be it a corrosion of the chakra network or whatever this seal sought to do.

Before Naruto could undo the seal, he'd need to find a way to neutralize the enzyme but he'd have to identify the type of energy contained in the chakra first. He didn't know but he hoped Jiraiya might. He called the Toad Sage over and gave him access to his projections, both the seals and the chemical breakdown of the sealing material. Jiraiya looked it all over before letting out a string of curses. Naruto waited for Jiraiya to finish but Anko looked nervous, something Jiraiya picked up on.

"Sorry, Anko, didn't mean to worry you. That idiot tried to make a Sage Mode seal, one that could incorporate senjutsu into whoever was marked."

"That wouldn't work, the enzyme is volatile to the energy and due to the effects it leaves the host unable to regulate it as well." Naruto said.

"Exactly. He must have dabbled with senjutsu but never in any significant way, if I had to guess whatever he managed to include in the seals wasn't perfectly balanced which would only make things worse."

"What does that mean? Can you not remove it after all?" Anko said in a slight panic.

"If I can find a way to neutralize or even momentarily stabilize the enzyme I can remove the seal." Naruto answered to a pair of wide eyes. "What?"

"Gaki, you know a way to remove it?"

"With the stipulation I put forward, I believe I do, yes. But I can't give a time table. I don't want to give you false hope, Anko-chan."

"You haven't."

"I think we should get out of here and get to work, don't want to leave a pretty lady in distress." Jiraiya said.

"I will get to work but I'd be just as committed if you weren't beautiful, Anko-chan."

"I find that very reassuring, blondie." Anko said with a laugh and watched as the pair departed. She understands the boy tried not to give her false hope but it was hard not to imagine a future free of her seal, free of her past, free of Orochimaru. Naruto's mind was busy making plans as he exited the building with Jiraiya. He was going to have to shelve some of his projects until he figured this out. He summoned twenty clones to go to the hospital's labs to get to work on finding a counter to the enzyme. It also occurred to him that Jiraiya knew about the senjutsu energy being utilized and may have a solution. He asked and Jiraiya grimaced.

"I may but I can't promise anything. Your best bet would be to continue down the path you're on. If you really can't come up with anything I'll see what I can do."

"Why wait? If your way doesn't work that's one thing but why leave it as a last resort, I don't understand."

"It's complicated, Naruto. Just work on your end of things, get Tsunade and Shizune to help if you can."

"You're being elusive for no reason and delaying helping someone that needs it. If your reasons are as good as you say you'd just tell me."

"Naruto, I know this isn't easy but just have faith." Jiraiya requested before leaving via a shunshin. Naruto had a small frown on his face not believing this was entirely about Anko-chan's seal. Whatever it was, the Uzumaki didn't think it was worth the delay to free a fellow comrade. He put it out of his mind for now, he wanted to get some sleep before his plans for the night.

* * *

Several hours later, Naruto and Haku were making their way to the Hyuuga compound. Naruto was wearing a blue, V-neck shirt, black pants and blue sandals. Haku was in an aquamarine floral print kimono with black, low heel sandals. The two were chatting, Naruto telling her a little more about Hinata and the Hyuuga when they saw Ino just ahead of them, looking quite pained. The two increased their pace to catch up to the Yamanaka heiress.

"Ino-chan, what's wrong?" Naruto asked.

"Asuma-sensei has increased the intensity of our training" she replied, though straining a little.

"Oh, I thought you said he was lazy, how did you convince him to train you more?" The Yamanaka blushed, to Naruto's confusion. She really didn't want to share that particular story as it wasn't an exact highlight of her career.

" _Asuma-sensei, you need to train us better. We're the weakest team of our graduating class." Ino nearly shouted, frustrated at Asuma's intransigence. She'd requested an increase in their training before but he'd always just waved her off._

" _Ino, you're just a Genin. I want to ease you guys into this lifestyle, not have you burnout. What's the rush?"_

" _The rush? The rush is I will not lose my virginity to Hinata Hyuuga and Naruto Uzumaki because I was too weak to stand up to that little psycho!" Ino panted out and then blushed. She went on to inform her team about what transpired and why she wanted to be stronger. Asuma, seeing this as a way to deny the Uzumaki a threesome agreed._

"Naruto, aren't you going to introduce me to your guest?" Ino said as a diversion.

"Oh, Yamanaka Ino-chan this is Yuki Haku."

"It's nice to meet you Ino-san, I understand I have you to thank for my wardrobe."

"Nice to meet you as well, and I'm glad you like it. It's not everyday a toad with a wad of cash asks you to go shopping."

"Well, you have excellent tastes so I appreciate it."

"We're going to be great friends, Haku-san, I just know it." The now trio walked the rest of the way and was granted immediate entrance into the compound. As they followed their escort they ran into the Clan Head, and Hinata's father, Hiashi. Ino and Haku bowed and offered polite greetings. Naruto, did not.

"Good evening, Hyuuga Hiashi-san." Hiashi wanted to roll his eyes at the boy, how he managed to be formal like Minato and yet still give less than a shit about titles like Kushina was impressive. Some part of him wondered if he did it on purpose but his face was as unreadable as any Hyuuga. He felt he owed a debt to the Uzumaki for helping Hinata shed herself of her debilitating shyness, though the effects he's had on Hanabi have been less desirable.

"I will defeat you today, Uzumaki!" speaking of. Hiashi just sighed, his little girl used to be so dignified.

"Hanabi, that is not how we greet guests in this house." She rolled her eyes. His little girl rolled her eyes.

"Greetings to you all, even you Uzumaki-teme."

"Hanabi!" Hinata exclaimed from behind her father and sister both.

"She won't always be here to protect you." Hanabi said and left in a huff.

"Naruto, what did you do to her?" Ino asked.

"I beat her in a staring contest." Seeing the look of disbelief on their faces Naruto just shrugged, he didn't exactly understand it either.

"Come this way, dinner will be served soon," Hinata said and Hiashi watched as the young ninja went into a small dining room. He left them alone, instead choosing to talk to Hanabi about her crass behavior. The Foursome settled in and shared dinner while exchanging stories. Ino and Hinata were both curious about Naruto's C-rank, neither having been assigned one yet. Naruto relayed the details but made sure to include impressions and other things to make it more interesting, as several books on communication had suggested. He ended his story by focusing on the daughter and grandson of the client.

"So, she put together a picnic basket for Haku and I. And she hugged me a lot. She was really weird." Naruto concluded, to snickering from all the girls in the room. "What?"

"Naruto-kun, she was being motherly and from what you said about Inari following you, she likely did so because her son found you so interesting."

"That was motherly?" he got a trio of head nods. "Hm, I guess it wasn't too bad."

"So, Haku, what are your plans?" Ino asked

"I honestly don't know. I haven't been able to be safe in one place for so long I never imagined what I'd do if I did. I want to keep my skills sharp but I don't know if I want to be a ninja."

"Without clan affiliation that might be difficult. What about a reservist? You get the status but you won't have to actively go on missions unless you want to." Ino suggested and Haku smiled.

"That might work. I'll just need to find a job and then I'll be set."

"You can work with me, Haku." Naruto offered. He did need employees, after all.

"If I did, would you teach me fuinjutsu?"

Naruto held out his hand, "I believe we have an accord."

"No, fair, Naruto-kun! You never offered to teach me fuinjutsu." Ino whined, only semi-joking. She'd come to know how good Naruto was at the art of sealing and wouldn't mind a few tips. The cold glare from Hinata warned her she may have pushed it too far.

"You never asked, Ino-chan." Naruto observed, wondering if Ino had a problem with voicing her desires as she seemed to expect him to know she wanted things without ever saying it.

"She's just joking, Naruto-kun. Besides, with her extra training to protect your maidenhood she wouldn't have the time." Ino gaped, how did the little psycho know that? The smile Hinata gave her, akin to the cat that eyed the canary made her uneasy. She did, eventually, relax and the rest of the evening went by without incident. Haku and Naruto departed first, thanking Hinata for hosting and bidding Ino and she goodnight. It was only Ino and Hinata left and both girls felt the need to clear the air.

"Ino-chan, I'm not some crazed lunatic. I don't enjoy intimidating you but Naruto-kun is my best friend and has helped me in ways I can never repay. When you complain about things he hasn't given you it makes him think he missed something, something a "normal" person would have noticed. I won't let you make me think poorly of himself." Ino sighed, she really hadn't considered how her teasing would be interpreted by Naruto. She had come to genuinely like him and had gotten used to how he was to the point she'd sometimes forget he could be hurt by her being insensitive.

"You're right. I do consider Naruto a friend and I think we can be as well if you stop scaring the hell out of me."

"I can try, Ino but it won't work if you think poorly of me."

"You mean the psych-"

"Like, why do you think I'd share your first time?" Hinata giggled as she walked back into the compound, Ino staring in horror at the gates before cracking a smile. It appeared while she may not be able to tease Naruto just yet, the Hyuuga was down to play. She smiled all the way home at the prospect of having another female friend, not really having one since Sakura and she fell out.

* * *

Tenzo overlooked his charges as they were engaged in a fearsome battle. It made the longtime ANBU agent smile, recalling his early days of hard training with his peers, pushing each other to be better. The boys' sessions had become increasingly intense but there was an undercurrent of trust, they never injured each other in any significant way so them pushing their limits together was fine. It was difficult to accurately judge Sai's full skill set as he was trained by Danzo-sama but he could tell Naruto was growing by leaps and bounds, even with his resistance seals still active.

The boys were exchange fists with fluid movement. One would strike, the other would parry and counter strike, only for that to be dodged. Time and time again, it was a ballet of violence. However, Sai managed to sneak in a right hook that sent Naruto tumbling back. The root wasted no time in pursuing his target but Naruto was not as open as Sai had expected. Sai lept in with a kick, which Naruto avoided. Sai landed and pivoted, unleashing a roundhouse. Naruto narrowly dodged the attack and the follow up roundhouse, retaliating with a spin kick of his own. Sai was hit on the chin and sent flying.

Naruto came in with a flying stomp but Sai rolled out of the way, retrieving a kunai as he did. He rushed back in and the exchange of hands continued. Sai came in with an overhead stab. Naruto used his opposite hand to perform a slap block on Sai's wrist, causing Sai's grip to loosen. Naruto slide his hand up and swatted the kunai into the air, continuing his offense by punching at Sai three times. The two palm strikes landed, the third was interrupted when Sai kicked Naruto away and smoothly caught his kunai. Not stopping his motion Sai performed a leg sweep, taking Naruto off his feet.

The Uzumaki didn't rest, predicting another attack, he performed a handstand and spun away from Sai's offensive, coming to his feet and having taken out his own kunai from his leg holster. The boys were engaging again, sparks from where their kunai met visibly to any that watched. In a moment of improvisation, Naruto jumped at Sai, placing both hands on his shoulders while perform a handstand and continuing to flip over the Root Ninja. He landed behind Sai and mule kicked him. Sai tumbled forward but was able to meet Naruto's charge and toss the blond on the ground. Naruto responded with a kick to Sai's midsection and it back him off, giving Naruto a chance to attack some more.

Sai, mimicking Naruto, performed a side flip over the charging blond and hit Naruto in the face when he turned to face Sai. Naruto returned with a jumping front kick, clipping Sai in the chin and then performed a series of hand signs, unleashing a **Wind Style: Great Breakthrough Jutsu**. Sai dodged the attack and closed the distance between Naruto and he, hitting Naruto in the solar plexus, following with a kick to the midsection and ending with his kunai pointed at his downed opponent. Naruto looked up and nodded at Sai, acknowledgement of his defeat and the Root Ninja helped up his friend. The two made the Seal of Reconciliation and then flopped on the ground.

"Do they normally go that hard?" Kakashi asked as he sat beside Tenzo, eye on his book but Tenzo knew his senpai had seen every second of the spar.

"It's been escalating as Naruto has improved. Are you concerned?"

"About Naruto's safety? No, you wouldn't be here unless Sandaime-sama ordered it so I trust he isn't in any danger. But he is much better at direct combat than I thought." Kakashi mused. He knew Naruto was physically superior to his teammates but he still assumed Sasuke had the technical advantage. It appeared that was no longer the case. Just more evidence his team was unbalanced. "So, what will they do now?"

"It depends. Sometimes it is ninjutsu training, sometimes it devolves into a book club and other times they work on their respective art." As Tenzo was answering, he sensed a presence approaching. While quiet, said person was not quiet enough to avoid ANBU detection. He saw it was a long haired young woman, mid teens at the oldest, holding a snow rabbit. She had on a dark blue shirt and skirt to match.

"Good morning, Naruto. And Sai, I presume?"

"Good morning, Haku."

"Hello, Haku-san. Naruto spoke of you briefly but you are not what I expected." Sai said.

"Oh, I hope I haven't disappointed."

"No, not disappointed. It's just, with Hinata-san, Shizune-san, and Tsunade-sama I assumed Naruto preferred his women bustier." Haku showed no hesitation in throwing several senbom at Sai, most hitting his legs and making the Root Ninja collapse. Haku wore a frown but it was undercut by her light blush. "I guess that was something I shouldn't have said." Sai concluded and saw Naruto nod in agreement.

"Besides, I like Haku's breasts." Haku's blushed increase and Naruto would swear he heard stifled laughs coming from the trees. He just ignored it, carefully moving the senbon from Sai and hoping this wouldn't become a repeat occurrence.


	9. Chapter 9

Hiruzen looked at Naruto intently, as if some hidden secret lied just beneath the boy's emotionless gaze. Truly, he was just happy that his grandson didn't ask him another sex question, he could do without that for a while, though him having sex questions and going to Jiraiya or Kakashi scared him. However, those concerns could wait for another time. Naruto had requested Hiruzen's advice on something the Professor was quite experienced in, teaching.

As Naruto explained it, this Haku girl wanted to be his assistant as well as a reservist in the Ninja Corp. One condition was Naruto would teach her fuinjutsu. A reasonable request and a skill that would take years to master; unless that is, Naruto was also a genius at teaching fuinjutsu. Hiruzen didn't know if he should hope he was or pray that he wasn't. As Hiruzen gathered his thoughts he reminisced about his time teaching his team. It was truly one of the best times of his life, even if it ultimately ended in one of his greatest regrets. He shook off the morose thoughts and finally answered Naruto.

"Well, Naruto-kun, teaching is truly one of the most difficult tasks to undertake and it is often the case the easier you find a subject the harder it is for you to teach it. Your intuitive grasp on the subject blinds you to the areas other people struggle with. It can take time to find your teaching style but also learn to be adaptive enough to the learning styles of your students. It shames me to say this, but I initially was not a very good sensei to Jiraiya-kun because of that very dynamic."

"What do I do?"

"Communicate. Explain things as you understand them but listen to what Haku has absorbed, it is often the case that what we are teaching and what our chargers learn are not the same but if you are patient with each other and diligent I believe you can be an excellent instructor. Just be patient with your student and yourself and know if you run into difficulties you can come to me or seek advice from Tsunade or Jiraiya as they both have years of teaching complex, highly technical disciplines."

"Or Hatake-sensei?"

"Yes, even him," HIruzen replied with a chuckle. Naruto nodded. "Now, how is your other project going?"

"Not well," Naruto said evenly but Hiruzen could read a level of frustration in his words. It'd only been two weeks but even with Tsunade's help, they hadn't been able to find a counteragent to the compound.

"Keep at it, Naruto-kun. I know you want to help Anko but don't burn yourself out in the attempt, ok?"

"I'll try, Oji-san."

"Good, my boy. Now, as you know you'll be touring the facility that makes your fuin bracelets at the end of the week. The rest of your team will be taking a C-rank during that time but I have a Special Jounin assigned to escort you." Naruto had requested to see the facility and Hiruzen figured the boy could update the security while there. He would send Jiraiya but the man was out collecting intelligence; besides, Hiruzen had seen the tension between his student and grandson and figured Jiraiya was giving Naruto space.

Naruto nodded again and then departed, saying goodbye to his Oji-san as he made his way to Ichiraku Ramen. Hatake-sensei had given him a few days off as he focused on Sasuke and Sakura. Naruto didn't mind, he had plenty of people to train with, one such person was actually sitting at the ramen stand as he arrived.

"Hello, Haku. Sorry, if I'm late."

"Hi, Naruto-kun, you aren't, I'm just early." As Naruto sat he saw Ayame approach with a smile on her face.

"Welcome, Naruto-kun! What will you have to today?"

"Hello, Ayame-san-" Naruto never got to finish as the girl lept halfway across the stand and grabbed his cheeks, pulling them in opposite directions.

"Ayame-NEECHAN," she said slowly.

"Hai, hai, Ayame-neechan."

"Good, now, what will you have?"

"The usual," Naruto said as he rubbed his cheeks. Haku giggled as it was the most childlike she'd ever seen her friend. It didn't surprise her as Naruto frequented the ramen stand regularly and the young woman before her was also warm and inviting, especially with Naruto. Haku knew there was a story there but would ask later. She just enjoyed seeing Naruto be treated like a normal twelve year old from time to time.

* * *

Tsunade entered her office, her mind abuzz. It'd been one of several therapy sessions and she always needed time to decompress afterward. It was difficult to fight the regret of not having done this sooner, as it didn't take long to uncover it was more than just the deaths of Dan and Nawaki that weighed on the last Senju. While she did still mourn them and feel like a failure, there were layers to her grief. She often felt like a hypocrite, not being able to move on from their deaths when she was one of the most prolific killers in modern shinobi history.

How many lovers and siblings did she take from people? How many grieving family members did she send to the bottom of an endless bottle because drunken stupors hurt less than sobriety? How could she be lauded as a medic with so much blood on her hands? She'd existed in a duality, one most medics after her could avoid. She felt alone in many respects, as the fractured parts of her self were in constant conflict. At least, they were before.

It was not fast, healing the mind didn't happen instantly, but slowly Tsunade was finding a way to become whole again, to accept all of her, good and bad. She'd already almost overcome her hemophobia, projecting a return to surgery soon. She'd even been seriously training with Shizune again, allowing herself to feel genuine joy and not have it torn asunder by overwhelming guilt.

The Senju started on her paperwork, thankful her burden wasn't anywhere near her Sensei's. She worked methodically, paying attention to the budgeting reports, preliminary plans for the medic training program and the new security clearances. Those had been slow, medics taking a backseat to the frontline Jounin and ANBU but progress was being made and most of the senior staff had been cleared. Tsunade heard a knock at the door and gave permission to enter, she smiled to see it was Shizune on the other side, with Tonton strutting in at her feet.

"I figured you might want some tea before you started your day, Tsunade-sama," Shizune said before placing the mug down on the desk of her longtime teacher.

"Thank you, Shizune."

"Oink!"

"And you, too, Tonton," Tsunade said with a laugh.

"How was your session?" Shizune inquired.

"Hard but good. I only wish I'd done this sooner, things could have been different," Tsunade lamented.

"Things can be different now, I like to focus on that."

"That's very wise, Shizune, how'd that happen?"

"I had a good teacher. She showed me what not to do."

"Har har har! Keep it up and I might start telling people how you cried when you couldn't revive the fish."

"Tsunade-sama, that's not remotely true," Shizune protested and Tsunade simply shrugged.

"It doesn't have to be true to be believed." Tsunade expected Shizune to back down but the dangerous glint in her student's eyes warned that wouldn't be the case.

"Do that and I'll tell you've started reading Icha Icha."

"You wouldn't."

"I would, Tsunade-sama."

"Fine but one day I will get legitimate blackmail material on you." Tsunade threatened, frustrated that throughout their years she'd never caught Shizune doing anything legitimately embarrassing. Shizune laughed it off as she departed from the office, having the goods on a Sannin was fun.

* * *

"They don't look like much," Tenten observed, dryly.

"Mah, mah, Tenten-chan, they're still fresh. You remember when you were just a few months out from the academy, yes?" Kakashi asked but didn't expect an answer. He was glad he'd forced Sakura to train with Naruto in the mornings or this may have truly been a sad sight. Kakashi requested a replacement genin for the upcoming mission and Gai was kind enough to volunteer his sole kunoichi to the cause. Kakashi appreciated it as she was well trained, disciplined and normal, unlike his other two students.

"Cha, who the hell are you?!" Sakura yelled.

"Tenten, member of Team 9 and future weapons mistress. I'm a little offended you don't know, your other teammate offers to bed me but doesn't talk about me? I feel unappreciated."

"Kakashi, why is she here?" Sasuke asked in his usual blunt manner.

"We'll be taking another C-rank at the end of the week, only without Naruto. Tenten-chan will be replacing him. She'll train with us for a few days so we can all get to know each other."

"Hn."

"What does 'hn.' mean? Look, I've already got one pretty boy prodigy to adapt to, I'm not learning a new language for you. Use whole words." Tenten said and meant it. She may like Neji but he could also be trying and she didn't care enough about the Uchiha to go through that.

Sasuke was simply surprised a girl around his age told him off, slightly or otherwise. He decided he didn't like it. "I don't take orders from second-rate kunoichi." Sasuke immediately felt something cool move swiftly across his cheek and then the sting associated with a cut while hearing a thud. He turned to see a kunai lodged into the tree behind him. He turned back around to face Tenten, a scowl forming on his face and saw she had several more kunai in each hand.

"I don't take shit from rookies," Tenten started before a smirk formed on her lips, "especially not from those who aren't even the strongest on their team." She suspected the Uchiha was a lot like Neji, too much pride to be controlled but just enough to be manipulated. Sasuke accepted the unspoken challenged and charged at the older kunoichi. Kakashi allowed them to hash out their differences but would prevent serious injury to either party, should the need arise. Until then, he had a book to read.

A minute into the impromptu spar and Sasuke was frustrated. Tenten negated his speed and taijutsu by keeping him at a distance. Every strategy he used to get closer was negated and he was littered with small nicks and cuts. It was if she'd seen it all before and just knew where to throw those damn kunai. He was losing his patience and considering unleashing some fire jutsu to teach her a lesson. Instead, he conceded. He had, initially, insulted her and she'd proven herself. He hated losing but there was no point in escalating this further, not when he was wrong.

"I give, you win. And I'm sorry for insulting you." Sasuke said and the kunoichi nodded in recognition, neither taunting nor gloating.

"That was quite the display. It appears we'll have to start training you on how to deal with long-range opponents, Sasuke-kun." Kakashi said, having just joined them. "Now, patch yourself up and take a short break. We'll start our team training in ten minutes."

* * *

Haku was impressed at the quantities Naruto managed to consume at the small ramen stand, though none of the other parties in attendance found it remarkable in the least, treating it as normal. The duo left the stand, after settling the tab and Naruto making sure to address Ayame appropriately lest he wanted his cheeks pinched again. Haku followed Naruto as he opted to take her to his preferred training ground for her first lesson. The two moved in companionable silence but something was tempting Haku to tense.

She couldn't put her finger on it but she felt she was being watched, something at the edge of her perception. It didn't have the feel of seasoned shinobi but years with Zabuza-sama had taught her to trust her feelings. She didn't have to wait long as three slow-moving "blurs" made their way directly toward them. Naruto made two clones in response and snatched all three out the air, maneuvering them into piggyback rides.

"Nii-chan!" a small boy said excitedly.

"Boss!" the other two cheered.

"Haku, this is Kono-chan and these are his friends Moegi and Udon. You three, say hello to Haku."

"Hi, Haku-san" the three greeted in unison.

"Oh, so you're the notorious prankster trio. Naruto-kun has told me about your exploits." All three gained a slight blush at her words.

"You talk about us, niichan?"

"Yes," Naruto said as his clones and he continued on to the training ground. "Why are you three not at the academy?"

"We didn't have class today," Konohamaru answered.

"You know I'll check with Iruka-sensei, yes?"

"Hai. I wouldn't lie to you… again." Konohamaru said, recalling the one time he was less than honest with Naruto. It wasn't a pleasant experience and he swore to himself to never do it again. "Besides, I never get to see you anymore."

"I send a clone for you regularly, Kono-chan."

"It's not the same!" the young Sarutobi said in protest. He didn't want a clone, he wanted his big brother.

"Hm, I'll keep that in mind."

"Yay! So, what are you going to teach us today?"

"Actually, I have plans with Haku so I can't teach you anything today."

"Maybe they could join us since it'd just be the basics." Haku offered after seeing the three children start to pout. Naruto said nothing as he considered her alternative.

"I could but if I'm going to teach you three fuinjutsu you have to promise me to practice your calligraphy every day and never set off a seal without allowing me to check over it first."

"Deal!" Konohamaru said, answering for the trio.

"Ok, hold on," was all the warning the kids got as the three Narutos performed a shunshin with Haku following close behind.

* * *

"You gotta teach me how to wield those."

"I ain't gotta do nothing."

"Pllleeeaase!"

"No."

"Guys, back me up here!" Ino shouted. Team 10 were returning from a C-rank mission. It was a simple mission. Messengers from a private delivery service had been ambushed multiple times along various roadways, Team 10 was supposed to trigger one and gain intel on if someone was selling information or organizing the bandits themselves.

Somehow, word got to the party in question as they had far greater numbers for Team Ten. While all members had to fight, Asuma dispatched of most of the enemy with his knuckle knives. Ino was instantly enamored and preceded to request, beg, and plead with Asuma to teach her. He'd been unwilling to do so.

"Troublesome, I want no part in this," Shikamaru stated.

"I don't see the harm, Asuma-sensei," Choji replied.

"See, Choji is on my side."

"Yea, don't care. You don't need these, besides it is highly unlikely you have a wind or lightning affinity."

"So what?" Ino shouted. She couldn't understand why it was so difficult to get this man to teach her things. She didn't have any offensive ninjutsu yet or defensive. She was getting better with her taijutsu but this would certainly give her a leg up.

"Ino, there is no need to rush. Firm up your basics before you start adding on new things," Asuma answered. He saw the Yamanaka start to retort before she stopped herself.

"How about a bet?"

"A bet?"

"Yep. If in our next training sessions I can beat both Shikamaru and Choji at the same time you'll teach me how to use those knives."

"And what do I get if you lose?"

"What do you want?"

"You have to clean my apartment for a month, laundry included."

"It's a deal."

"I have no incentive to participate in this," Shikamaru points out.

"You only think I'm troublesome, Shika. You want to see what that looks like when I try?" Ino asked, threateningly.

"What a drag."

"Buy me some barbeque and I'm good," Choji added

* * *

"I'm sorry your lesson got interrupted, Haku."

"It was fine, Naruto-kun. I feel I still learned a lot even with you helping them, besides it's cute how much they look up to you."

"They do?" Naruto asked in mild confusion.

"I think so, especially Konohamaru. It wouldn't surprise me if he wanted to learn fuinjutsu simply because he knows his big brother is good at it."

"But shouldn't he want to do things he's good at?"

"Yes, but sometimes when you care about someone and admire them you want to do some of the things they do. I'll never be a kenjutsu user but my stealth and silent killing skills are due to Zabuza-sama. I wanted to learn the things he excelled at."

"Oh," was all Naruto could say to that. He could somewhat relate, his Oji-san was his inspiration for wanting to be the Hokage someday but he just assumed he had to do it his own way, although the more he thought about it the more he realized his various sensei weren't just teaching him skills but the skills they trained hard to perfect, the things they felt were important.

"So, it's like a legacy?" Naruto asked.

"Exactly and no matter what you do, a small part of you lives on through your students and their students. Because of you, there may always be people who understand fuinjutsu as a way for chakra to communicate with the world and not just a method of fighting."

"I think I like that," Naruto said after giving it some thought. "Would you teach me something?"

"Uh, I can but why?"

"Because that way, no matter what, I'll always have a part of you and spread your legacy."

"That's very sweet, Naruto-kun." Naruto looked back at her mildly puzzled, he wasn't trying to be sweet but he shrugged. He'd have to ask his Oji-san about that later. The two continued until they reached their respective apartments, both bidding farewell. Haku would spend the day thinking about what to teach Naruto, Naruto would split his time preparing for the new mission and trying to unravel the last mystery of Anko's cursed seal.

* * *

Green eyes stared into blue, neither blinking. Inoichi was not at all pleased to see the Uzumaki darken his door. That the boy seemed completely unbothered by Inoichi's stern gaze only added to his annoyance but what put Inoichi over the top was Naruto's answer to Inoichi's question.

"I'm here for your daughter, Yamanaka Inoichi-san."

"Oh, and would you like to pay a visit to my wife after you finish up?" Inoichi questioned, sarcastically. Naruto, however, didn't answer, wondering if Mrs. Yamanaka had a sealing or medical related need but simply walked past the clan leader. Hinata messaged him saying Ino was in need of assistance so he came over immediately.

Seeing he wasn't going to answer, Inoichi spoke again, "Ino is in her room, upstairs and to the left."

"Thank you, Yamanaka-san," the Uzumaki said before departing to his final destination. When arrived to Ino's room, knocking at the closed door he was mildly surprised when the door flew open and a near frantic Ino pulled him into her bedroom and deposited him on her bed. He saw Hinata give a smile but it wasn't her normal smile so he didn't know if this was amusing or what.

"I 'm glad you're here, Naruto-kun. I'm in need of assistance and Hinata-chan said you would be able to provide it."

"I said Naruto-kun might have an idea to help you since your mouth got you in trouble, Ino-chan," the Hyuuga corrected.

"Same diff," Ino replied while shrugging, and then immediately returned to her near panic state. "As Hinata said, you're my only hope!" Said declaration caused Hinata to stare at Ino blankly, wondering if the girl had the power to deny reality as she saw fit. Naruto simply sat in silence. Ino, having gotten a little more familiar with Naruto-speak, which included a lot of silence and blank stares, concluded he was waiting for her to tell him the actual problem as his presence signaled his willingness to try to help. She learned Naruto didn't state the obvious.

"Ok, so here's my problem, on our most recent C-rank mission some things went pear-shaped. We handled it but during combat, I saw Asuma-sensei using these knuckle knives and it looked so cool. Of course, I begged him to teach me. I mean, I'm so behind. Even Forehead Girl is might be getting ahead of me since she trains with you, right?"

"Sakura-san's rate of progress has been within the range of expectation."

"See, that's totally Naruto-kun speak for that walking billboard is getting stronger. I just want an edge, an ace that no one suspects and it would aid in my taijutsu."

"These are all good points, Ino-chan, but I don't see how I can convince Asuma-san to train you."

"Oh, no that's not what I need help with. I challenged Asuma-sensei, I said if I could beat with Shikamaru and Choji at the same time he'd have to train me and he agreed. The problem is, Shikamaru is sick smart, maybe even smarter than Sakura and you. Choji is a sweetheart but he's a tank. I could wail on him all day and he wouldn't really feel it. Only Sasuke-kun, Kiba and you were able to actually hurt him in the Academy. Separately they'd be a challenge but together… I'm totally screwed. I was hoping you'd have some advice or maybe a super seal to win it for me. So what do you say? Want to whip out that ink and paper for your dear Ino-chan?"

"When is your challenge?" Naruto asked.

"Three days, Asuma-sensei gave us two days off and we settle the bet on our return. So, will you help me?"

"Yes," Naruto started, only to be interrupted

"AWE-"

"But I won't give you any seals," the Uzumaki finished.

"What? Why? C'mon, you could totally trap them in something or other, it'd be easy," Ino whined.

"Possibly, but this is not my challenge, Ino-chan, it is yours. This is a chance for you to improve and I wouldn't be a good friend if I took that away from you."

Ino wanted to beg some more but the slight hint of smugness on Hinata's face told her all she needed to know. "You knew he'd say no, didn't you?"

"Yes," Hinata answered, not hiding her pleasure, "but it doesn't mean we can't help you, Ino-chan. We just won't solve your problem for you."

Ino huffed before resigning herself, "Fine, what can I do?"

"What are the rules of this challenge, Ino-chan?"

"Probably just standard sparring rules, Asuma-sensei didn't stipulate anything before we left."

"Oh, ok. Then the challenge has already started," Naruto observed, causing Ino to look at him in apparent confusion.

"No, Naruto-kun, we fight Friday."

"No, you only have to appear to win on Friday, Ino-chan. That doesn't mean you can't take steps to secure your victory in the meantime, ideally, both Shikamaru and Choji should be doing the same."

"But it's just a spar."

"No, Ino-chan, it's an assassination mission with the requirement the client watch you make the kill at a specific time."

"Wha?"

"Outside of your agreement with Asuma-san and the laws of Konoha you are free to act without violating the terms of your agreement. It would be irresponsible of you not to seek every advantage, Ino-chan. As my Oji-san says, if a shinobi finds themselves in a fair fight, they've done something wrong."

Ino gaped at Naruto's words, wondering if this is how he thought about things, seeing training through the lens of future missions or the ethics of a shinobi. The statement was brief but the effects would be profound. Ino felt small and immature, wondering if that was why Asuma-sensei didn't want to train her more. She was too linear, too small in her thinking. She was worried about winning on the day of the spar. It was stupid, the reasoning of an Academy student.

Of course, he wouldn't want to teach her intermediate skills, she was still pretending to be a ninja. She should have seen the fight as occurring the very moment Asuma-sensei agreed to the bet. And worst yet, she expected her friend to just solve her problem so she could get what she wanted. The Yamanaka heiress hung her head in shame, much to Naruto's confusion. Hinata, however, knew exactly what was happening as she was quite familiar with the looks of shame and self-criticism present in Ino's body language

Ino jumped a little when she felt arms encircle her but quickly eased into the hug. "It's ok, Ino-chan. Of our graduating class, Shino-kun is likely the only other one to come to such a conclusion. We're still learning and you've done nothing wrong."

"I didn't mean to make you feel bad, Ino-chan," Naruto added. He had thought he was helping but was concerned he might have done the opposite.

"You did, you have. I'm just embarrassed I've been so immature about this. Could you stay a little bit and help me brainstorm a plan?"

"Of course, Ino-chan."

The trio would stay in Ino's room and listen to her formulate plans, only offering feedback. This went on for twenty minutes before Naruto's eyes briefly glazed over. That was followed by Inoichi storming into the room, red-faced and breathing heavily. The man looked apoplectic.

"GET OUT YOU DAMN BRAT! GET OUT RIGHT NOW!" the Yamanaka clan head started shouting, only to be cut off by his wife.

"INOICHI, you leave that sweetheart of a boy alone!"

"Daddy, why are you yelling at Naruto-kun? He's been here the entire time."

"HE WAS IN MY BEDROOM WITH YOUR MOTHER!" The two heiresses turned to look at Naruto who didn't seem all that concerned about the Jounin yelling at him. He assumed his friends wanted an explanation and he didn't mind as he'd only done what Inoichi-san asked on him.

* * *

 _As Naruto got to the top of the stairs he created a shadow clone. If Inoichi-san's wife needed help it wouldn't due to make her wait. Assuming Inochi-san's bedroom was at the opposite end of the hallway, Naruto sent the clone that way and continued on to his initial destination. The clone traveled the short distance to the presumed bedroom and knocked._

" _Y-yes?" was the pained response._

" _Hello, Yamanaka-san, I'm Uzumaki Naruto and Inoichi-san requested I see about you."_

" _Oh, t-then come in," she responded and Naruto entered. The room was dark, on the light of a dimmed lamp shone but Naruto could see the Yamanaka propped up on the bed, looking on in discomfort. Naruto didn't hesitate to follow the protocols instilled in him by Tsunade-sensei and Shizune-senpai._

" _As I stated, I am Uzumaki Naruto and am currently a C-rank medical ninja. Can you tell me what seems to be bothering you, Yamanaka-san?"_

" _Emiko, dear."_

" _Hai."_

" _And what's bothering me is my back. This is all so silly; I was reaching down to pick something up and felt an intense pain in my lower right side. It was agony for the first two days, now it is simply mind numbing. I told Inoichi-kun I just needed a few days rest, not a trained medic. Not even one of Ino's cute friends," saying the last part with a wink. Naruto smiled in response before continuing._

" _How long ago was the initial incident?"_

" _Three days ago."_

" _Do you ever feel numbness or shooting pain in your legs?"_

" _Only if I stand too long."_

" _I know this will not be comfortable but do you think you could roll over on your stomach so I can check your back?"_

 _Emiko, with Naruto's help, removed the covers from her, revealing she was in a floral print nightgown. She winced as she rolled over but managed to do so. Naruto activated his diagnostic jutsu and it confirmed his suspicion._

" _You've herniated a disc in your lower back, Emiko-san."_

" _Oh, can you do anything?"_

" _Yes. It is not severe enough to require surgery and is therefore within my current skill level. One problem is that while bedrest is initially good, after a day or two it becomes harmful. The muscles in your back have tightened and tense, making you stiff. That will prolong the recovery time. I can help with that too, but I would need you to expose your back to me."_

" _And I'll feel better when you're done?"_

" _Hai. I would only suggest you follow up with another medic tomorrow as they may undergo further healing or recommend physical therapy."_

" _Ok, let's do it."_

" _Would you like a towel or a sheet to cover your lower body?"_

" _N-no, that won't be necessary."_

 _Naruto said no more as he gently lifted the back of Emiko's nightgown and exposed her lower back and cotton panties. Naruto noticed she had two dimples above her butt and thought it an attractive feature. He made a note to apologize to Haku for being skeptical about her aversion of showing her lower back. He also, idly, wondered if Ino-chan would develop similar features as she aged; assuming she hadn't had them already._

 _None of these thoughts lasted long nor did they delay Naruto from his responsibilities. He started treatment immediately, engaging a healing jutsu, though not the fabled Mystic Palm Technique as he hadn't received the proper rank to learn it yet. However, due to the potency of his chakra and the fuinjutsu enabled fine chakra control, even basic healing jutsu worked a faster for him than most. In only ten minutes the disc had been repaired and Naruto started on relaxing her muscles with a therapeutic massage._

 _Naruto started on Emiko's lower back before slowing sending his hands up the outside of back and gently down either side of her spine. He did this for several minutes until he felt the muscle groupings in her back had warmed up and then he focused on any sources of tension or knotting he could find, gentle working them loose. He knew he was on the right track as Emiko would offer hums or coos of pleasure. When Naruto ran across a particularly tough knot at her shoulder blades, Emiko encouraged the blond to be a little more forceful._

" _Yes, right there, Naruto-kun. Don't be shy," were the words Inoichi heard as he entered his bedroom only to be followed by an "ahh!" as his wife sounded as if something deeply satisfying had occurred. Seeing a small blond on top of his wife was the final spark to Inoichi's temper._

" _What the hell are you doing to my wife, boy?"_

" _Paying her a visit, as you requested," Naruto said neutrally, a little confused at Inoichi's surprise._

 _That only further incensed Inoichi who was about to start yelling at the blond. Naruto, remembering Shizune-senpai told him that sometimes family members would delay treatment as they became emotional decided to restrain the confusing clan leader. Inoichi didn't notice the paralysis and suppression seals forming in the room until after they had latched on to him. The part of him that was still objective was impressed the boy could manifest seals with his feet. Every other part of him found the little blond bastard to be smug and arrogant._

 _Naruto returned to his patient, asking her about her current pain level, there was none. He requested she stand and she did with no problem. He then repeated his request she seek another medical ninja tomorrow before dispelling, ending the restriction seals placed on Inoichi. The man wasted no time charging to Ino's room, ready to strangle that Uzumaki._

* * *

It took Ino and Emiko both to calm Inoichi down, as the respective Yamanaka women believed he was being irrational. This feeling was only solidified by the facts that Inoichi asked Naruto to go to Emiko and the blond did help her. He, begrudgingly, apologized for his behavior as he escorted Naruto and Hinata out. Naruto then offered to walk Hinata home and the Hyuuga gladly accepted. The pair walked in silence for much of the way to the Hyuuga compound until Hinata spoke as they turned on the final street.

"Naruto-kun?"

"Yes, Hinata-chan?"

"It was nice of you healing Emiko-san but you shouldn't give your services away for free." Hinata watched as Naruto tilted his head to the side in thought before dawning a small smile briefly.

"In a sense, she did pay me."

"Oh, and what's your going rate?" Hinata asked, the duo approaching the main entrance to her compound.

"She let me see her panties."

Hinata stopped right at her gate, the Hyuuga guards holding their greeting. Naruto couldn't place the look on her face initially until it became one of resolve.

"Well, that might be a problem should I ever need your medical skills."

"Oh, why so?" Naruto asked.

Hinata, without hesitation, leaned close and whispered in Naruto's ear, "Because I don't wear any." She swiftly turned on her heels and entered her home.

"Uzumaki-san, are you ok?" One of the guards asked as the boy merely stood before them with a half-lidded gaze.

"Dattebayo." Was his only response before he disappeared in a swirl of leaves.

* * *

 **Been a while, huh? I am so sorry for the delay, it was never supposed to be this long. I underwent a change, one I thought would be positive but actually made me miserable and left no time for hobbies. After I resolved that situation, I promptly injured my back and that is not conducive to writing**

 **And lastly, I am not a professional writer. I am under no delusions about that. I don't think I'm doing Naruto better than Kishimoto. I'm just playing in his sandbox. I do, however, try to produce something enjoyable in all my stories while giving Naruto some different shadings or personality traits. Not perfect but I try, as such I sometimes lose my handle on these personalities and I have to delete hundreds or thousands of words because I didn't write the characters correctly.**

 **All these things combine to form a delay. It wasn't the plan, wasn't desired but hopefully with this I've broken through my blocks and can get back to turning out things more regularly. Thank you for your patience and support (and if you've tried to PM me know I turned them off simply because I didn't know when I'd be able to return.)**


	10. Chapter 10

Grunts of exertion could be heard as Haku attempted to see to her duties. Just as she was diligent in being Zabuza-sama's tool, she'd be the very best assistant she could for Naruto-kun. It was why, she was here, dressed in a dark blue kimono, with a mesh shirt underneath, open-toed heels similar to Tsunade's and her new headband holding back her onyx locks.

"You, personally, have a light day today, Naruto-kun. After training with Sakura-san, you have a couple of hours free before your first meeting."

"Ugh!" Haku heard as a shadow clone kneed Sakura in the stomach.

"The construction crew?" Naruto continued, seemingly unbothered by his teammate's grunt of pain.

"Hai, the construction crew. As a reminder, this is them pitching you so they will do most of the talking but I did leave a note card with a few questions you may want to ask them on your desk. Speaking of, have you consider renting office space? Working out of your apartment may become untenable given what all you do."

"I plan to have one built during the building remodel, along with a sealing chamber."

"Makes sense. The meeting shouldn't last more than an hour. After that, Shizune-san has requested you make a personal appearance to the hospital in addition to the clones you normally send, not in replacement of; I made sure to ask."

"Did she give any specifics?"

"No, but she said it shouldn't interfere with your availability for anything else today."

"Ok, what else?"

"You have that last meeting scheduled at 1 but there is still time to cancel-" Haku attempted to caution but was, uncharacteristically, interrupted.

"He has been given a chance to be straight with me, Haku."

"I understand, Naruto-kun but I still think this might be going too far."

"No one is getting hurt by what I'm doing, he can't make the same claim."

"To your knowledge but you don't know that, on either claim."

"True but I will continue on."

Haku sighed but preceded, "After that, the rest of your day is cleared for training. I will start your senbon training at 2, Sai-san will be free at 4 o'clock."

"Anything else?"

"Your clones are scheduled to dispel, some at 3, some at 6, and the last at 9."

"Ok. Will you be free for dinner tonight?"

"Chappy and I will arrive at 8," Haku said with a smile.

"Argh, damn it, Naruto!" Sakura yelled, getting up off the ground and marching over to her teammate. The shadow clone dispelled and Naruto got the memories of her performance.

"What's the problem, Sakura-san?"

"The problem is I'm here to train with you, not some freaking clone! Also, what's your problem with me? Why was that thing being so hard on me today?"

"You kept leaving the same hole in your stance. I've pointed it out before but you've yet to correct it so I thought maybe a direct consequence could help. Better I do than an enemy. Besides, since I will not be on your upcoming mission this is the best I can do to protect you, Sakura-san."

At first, irritated by his words, Sakura quickly calmed down. He wasn't wrong and it was sweet he was doing it to help her improve. Still hurt, though. "Can you do something about the pain?"

"Sure, come he-"

"I believe that would be a mistake, Naruto-kun," Haku spoke, causing both Naruto and Sakura to look at her, one neutrally, one in annoyance. "For your lesson to truly stick, she must live with the consequence. If you remove the pain, you remove the lesson."

Sakura gained a tick mark but Naruto tilted his head to the side, considering her words. Haku's point seemed sound and Naruto didn't want Sakura-san to backslide because he was misguided in his kindness. With a firm nod, Naruto spoke,

"I agree with Haku, Sakura-san. I know my clone held back so while it may hurt you aren't injured and can continue with your duties."

"WHAT! NARUTO, JUST COME HEAL ME!"

"Sakura-san, I suggest you lower your voice and never raise it to Naruto-kun in my presence again," Haku said with a warm smile but Sakura saw a threatening glint in her eyes. A part of her wanted to acquiesce, another wanted to reject it and challenge the older girl to do something about it. Before she could, however, the trio were interrupted by a fast moving dust cloud and a pair of booming shouts.

"Yooooooooooooooooooooooooooouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuttttttttttttttttthhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" filled the surrounding area as two green blurs and the resulting dust stopped right in front of Naruto and Haku.

"Yosh, most youthful Naruto-kun, good morning! And to you as well!" Gai said, greeting the younger ninja.

"Good morning, Gai-sensei."

"Morning, Maito-san."

Sakura was still quiet, dumbfounded by the scene and Lee noticed her silence.

"Hello! You must be the lovely Sakura-chan. I am Rock Lee, Konoha's Beautiful Green Wild Beast," Lee announced. "Would you like to go out with me, I'll protect you with my life!"

"Uh, this is way too much, way too early. I'm sorry Lee-san, I'm interested in someone else."

Lee looked down for a bit before his eyes started burning with determination, "Naruto-kun has clearly taken the lead for your heart and while that may never change I look forward to showing you my worth, yosh!"

"N-no it's not Naruto!" Sakura screamed, shaking in rage. Gai decided to move on before the pinkette dissolved.

"Naruto-kun, I understand you are not training with my rival this week, as Tenten-chan has temporarily replaced you. How would you like to join us for the day?" Gai asked while in his nice guy pose.

"I, unfortunately, have plans throughout the day but I am free now."

"Did you hear that Lee-kun! We will elevate your flames of youth and Naruto-kun's as well. Let's start with a spirited run to our training grounds and move on from there!"

"I can barely contain my excitement, Gai-sensei! I am exploding with youthful power. What about you, Naruto-kun?" Lee asked, adopting his own nice guy pose.

"I don't feel combustion is imminent, no."

Lee dipped his head briefly before raising it again with a blinding smile, "This must be the hip attitude you often mention, Gai-sensei. If I had not already selected one, I would accept you as my lifetime rival, Naruto-kun for coolness cannot defeat the flames of youth!"

"Well said, Lee-kun! Let us run like the wind, yosh!" Gai took off, Lee close behind and Naruto swiftly followed suit, catching up to the taijutsu users. The two kunoichi watched the three leave, Haku smiling at the odd exchange and Sakura still confused; until she remembered Haku's last words.

"Haku-san, do you have a problem with me?" Sakura inquired.

"Yes," she answered swiftly. "Naruto-kun was only trying to help you and instead of being appreciative of his efforts you berate him as if he'd wronged you. He may not take personal offense but I do on his behalf. Find a different outlet to vent your frustrations than targeting someone you know won't fight back."

"I don't do that."

"Yes, you do. You even did so in Nami but that stops now."

"How is any of this your business? He's my teammate and if he has a problem he can say so."

"I'm his assistant and, more importantly, his friend. So, I will repeat, find a better outlet for your frustrations."

"Yea, what if I take them out on you?" Sakura said in annoyance only to hear a delicate laugh.

"You fight like a pillow fisted gorilla, Sakura-san. You're years away from being a threat to me," Haku said and then vacated the training ground via a shunshin. Sakura only gaped at the final remarks of the older girl. Soon a fit of burning anger took hold and Sakura abused the nearing training post in response. She'd stay there until time to meet her team.

* * *

A Nara stared intently at a Yamanaka. Yoshino was sure she'd misheard Ino's request. It was quite early and she may not have been fully alert. She was also surprised that Ino had even come here at this hour. That would explain it, her mind simply hadn't processed Ino's words correctly. There was no way Emiko's little girl was asking her to drug her own child. No way.

"Ino-chan, I'm not sure I'm understanding you," Yoshino said and heard the heiress huff. Ino had come by early, as Shikamaru hadn't even awoken yet, to speak to Yoshino. While unusual, it wasn't odd as their families had been close for generations and Yoshino was something of an Aunt to Ino.

"I want you to put this," she waved a vile of clear liquid, "in Shikamaru's drink tomorrow night. It's a stimulant, like really potent caffeine but that's it."

"And this is a training assignment?"

"Yes, Yoshino-obachan. I have to be honest, we're the weakest team of our graduating class. I'm trying to push Asuma-sensei to train us harder but I have to complete the exercise for that to happen."

"Which is to beat Choji and Shikamaru in a spar at the same time?"

"Yes, ma'am. But as I am, I can't do that straight up."

"So, you'll cheat?" Yoshino questioned.

"Technically, no. This isn't against the rules we stipulated. I'm just taking every advantage to make sure my mission is a success," Ino explained and watched the Nara matriarch nod along. Yoshino considered Ino's argument; while not overly concerned with them being the strongest team, she certainly wanted them to be a strong and solid team. Asuma being more rigorous couldn't hurt and it would break Shikamaru out of this belief he only needed to really concentrate on his intellect. The mother in her balked at drugging her own child but he wasn't a child anymore. If Ino were getting this serious about her career, Yoshino saw no reason to impede her development.

"I'll do it if you give me a full description of what the substance is and how you got it," Yoshino stipulated and Ino nodded. She'd spent much of the night distilling the substance after her brainstorming session with Hinata-chan and Naruto-kun. She even had notes and documentation to provide in case Yoshino had asked for it. Ino smiled, Yoshino was going to be the harder sell of the two mothers she had to speak to. She was starting to believe she just might pull this off.

* * *

Gai watched Naruto exit the training ground as Lee shouted his goodbyes. It was a good session, he'd had both boys drop their weights/resistance seals respectively and come at him. It was quite invigorating and he was enthused to see how Naruto was improving the base taijutsu style Gai had helped him with. However, Gai couldn't shake his sense of guilt. He'd known from his rival that Naruto was developing into a capable taijutsu practitioner and the current best of Team 7.

Gai hatched a plan to get Naruto to train with Lee and to put the young Uzumaki in a position not to hold back. Lee was a humble boy but his tunnel vision regarding Neji was bringing about an unintentional arrogance as he solely compared himself to his chosen rival, blinding himself to the other challenges around. It worked, Lee saw that there was someone his age that could compete with his speed and strength. He hated using the blond in such a way but hoped the experiencing of fighting an Elite Jounin was, at least, close to a fair exchange for his time.

While Gai was attempting to alleviate his guilt, Naruto was headed back to his apartment. He needed to shower before his meetings and wanted to send a few clones to the archives. He rather liked the unusual pair of beasts and wondered if Sai wouldn't mind having Lee join them from time to time. He wasn't surprised Lee was so fast, as he had no basis to gauge the boy's abilities but knowing there was someone comparable to him did give him a little motivation to increase the intensity of his workouts. He really liked that he got an example of many of the basic strikes and stances of the Gouken style. He'd improved his memory recall seal so projecting the fight and incorporating elements of the style wouldn't be too difficult even if it was more rigid than his nascent style was.

Before he cleared Team Nine's training grounds he crossed paths with Neji, who looked especially irritated when he spoke, "What are you doing here, Uzumaki?"

Naruto simply looked Neji in his eyes for several moments before giving his answer, "Leaving." He then continued to walk away, wondering how the alleged prodigy couldn't pick up on something so obvious. Neji took the answer as a dismissal and it only agitated him further.

"You would do well to speak properly to your betters," the Hyuuga spat. Naruto turned to him, considering his words. He did have a point as Oji-san had stressed the value of politeness, which is something he then taught to Kono-chan. However, the phrasing of betters left him perplexed as Naruto hadn't known of some objective ranking system but he felt he should, at least, acknowledge Neji's attempt at good advice.

"If I find some, I will," and continued on his way. The second, to Neji, dismissal only soured his mood further and the shouts from his sensei and teammate hadn't helped. He swore he'd teach the blond a lesson one day, if for no other reason than to tear down the source of Hinata's support. Fate demanded as much.

Naruto, paying the bitter Hyuuga no further attention, swiftly made his way back to his apartment. He had about an hour and a half to shower, change and eat before he'd hear the first bid for his redevelopment project. While, theoretically, Naruto could simply task clones to do the work once they learned how it would not do good for his company to have no employees or contractors on the books. The blond Uzumaki was excited about the redevelopment. While much of the apartments wouldn't change, Naruto wouldn't incorporate some amenities to attract more renters.

He wanted a small grocery store at the ground level and a laundry service as well. He was going to establish a small private training area behind his building and a secure hot spring. There were some other ideas but he mostly wanted the ability to expand or add as he chose so the construction would be additional structures to the existing apartment complex. The novelty being, while all apartments would be entered from the outside, there would be a fuinjutsu enabled passage to the resident only amenities to keep them secure and exclusive.

Another addition to the building, that only a few people would know about, was the sub-basements Naruto planned to create with doton jutsu and fuinjutsu. He'd had this idea that, if it worked, would take his training to the next level but he wanted to keep it a secret. As his Ojisan stated, not every development had to be shared with the village. This would be for him and, what Haku called, his precious people.

The Uzumaki had busied himself with so many projects; Anko's seal, learning medicine, battle fuinjutsu and other areas of training that he'd stalled on his initial focus, the information systems. His short range communication seal worked but he wanted something better, that could handle audio, video, and text. Attempts hadn't been to his liking as the images would just be blurs. How to transmit the information was the problem and one of his clones had the thought that the data of the desired transmission needed to be broken down into smaller packets and then reconstituted in almost an instant once received.

Given Naruto had spent much more time with his mother's barrier information creating the theoretical framework hadn't been hard, though coming up with a new coding language was onerous. The last hurdle was the method of transmission, which would require a space/time technique. To realize his goal, Naruto knew he had to finally begin to learn his father's signature jutsu, the _Hiraishin_. He also had to then surpass even his father's mastery as the Hiraishin was a fuinjutsu assisted ninjutsu and Naruto needed an entirely fuinjutsu instant transmission method.

The Uzumaki hummed as he exited the shower, He had a lot to do, even with his clones it often felt like he was nearing his limit with how much he could multitask. He'd finished his preparation for his upcoming mission but he still needed to make some things for his teammates. Just because he wasn't going to be there didn't mean he couldn't be helpful and as his replacement, Tenten-san, was alleged to be really good at shurikenjutsu he knew just the items to give her.

He completed his hygiene rituals, dried off and changed; a black V-neck, long sleeve shirt over a mesh shirt, black pants and sandals to match. Not his usual shinobi wear but since it was for business, Hatake-sensei and his Ojisan both recommended a change in wardrobe. He sat down at his table, a clone having prepared Omurice with Miso Soup. The Uzumaki ate quietly, enjoying the small moment of inactivity.

* * *

Kurenai overlooked her team with a small smile on her face. The team had just completed one of their recurrent training exercises; hide and seek. Two members would search for one party but the stipulation was, none of the genin could use the abilities their clans were infamous for. Kurenai had to put a special salve under Kiba's nose to achieve this as the boy couldn't simply turn his sense smell off. They'd struggled initially, as she assumed but they'd grown over the months in and out of the exercise.

Kiba had to learn to be more observant and thoughtful, qualities that were slowly bleeding into other facets of the Inuzuka's life. He'd still charge ahead, that'd likely always be his style but he was getting smarter about it. Shino was learning to treat the environment and people around him as things to engage and interact with, not merely objects of observation and assessment. He was, in turn, talking more with his teammates about non-shinobi matters and his teammates were all too happy to talk in return. Hinata, too, initially faltered but she was learning to rely on more than just her eyes and getting more and more confident.

Kurenai couldn't be more proud of her team. While not the combat focus like Team 7, they had enough power to not fall victim like other tracker focused teams while also learning to be multidimensional in their ninja abilities. She was even ready to start them on some genjutsu studies, outside of how to detect and break them which she drilled into their heads early on. None of them may specialize but they'd all know how to do something in the illusion arts.

Kurenai's focus was disturbed by the presence of a hawk circling the team, meaning they were being summoned to the Hokage Tower. She wasted no time getting the genin's attention and leading them to the Tower. If they were being summoned it was likely a time-sensitive C-rank. There was always a hint of concern when she took them out of the village but she chalked that up to just the natural concern a teacher would have for her students as she was also confident they could handle themselves. They were solid individually and even better as a team.

The mission was a search and rescue, if alive, or confirmation of death if not. It would take them two days to reach the mountainous region they were traveling to so Kurenai gave her team an hour to pack and report to the main gate. Team Eight separated as they exited the Hokage Tower, each attending to their own mission prep. Kurenai chose to go with the standard Jounin uniform, taking into consideration the weather conditions of the mountains.

She resolved herself to barter with Uzumaki-kun to get some of his temperature control seals. Hinata already had them in her mission wear and it had been a mental lapse to not procure some as well. She may make it a team buy as Shino and Kiba could both benefit but she'd have to consider what would be a fair trade for his services. Maybe some genjutsu lessons and even a jutsu she wondered as she finished packing. After having a light lunch and rechecking her gear Kurenai left out, arriving just as the rest of her team did. She smiled briefly as they were neither too early nor late. She spared them some brief words about their expected travel duration and after officially checking out Team 8 departed.

* * *

Movement, she realized, was going to be her key to success. Any traps she erected needed to keep her teammates moving, off balance and guessing. Shikamaru likely couldn't use his shadow possession while moving and his stamina wasn't the best either. He also didn't strategize the best when on the back foot, situations not in his control. Choji was different, he was all motion. The tank that could barrel through opposition when needed but she'd use that against him and without Shikamaru guiding him, the boy would lose confidence. Ino realized she'd have to work with Choji on that, he shouldn't use Shikamaru as a crutch but it'd have to wait.

The Yamanaka heiress was planning out her battle; that is why she was currently in her team's training grounds. She wanted to get a real feel for the area, looking at it through new eyes. She wouldn't put up any of the traps until tomorrow night just in case but it was good to have a working schematic now. After getting Choji's mom to agree, Ino didn't feel as confident as when she left Yoshino. It was starting to feel real now. She had a brief moment of doubt as she wondered if she really could do this on her own, outside of the help she'd be receiving from her surrogate aunts.

Ino immediately shook away those dark thoughts. She knew how many saw her, the vapid, fangirl heiress; the girl that would rather gossip than train. While some of those things were true, she was a sincere (and vocal) admirer of Sasuke she wasn't some dimwit. She's been the one requesting more training, pushing her limits. She's the one trying to diversify her skill set. She had to win. This single victory wouldn't change people's perceptions of her but she could start with Asuma-sensei. She could prove she wasn't just playing ninja, she was serious. From there she didn't know but she had people to help figure it out. The Yamanaka simply knew she'd only accept the best from herself and push her teammates to do so as well.

* * *

Two blonds sat in the observation deck of a surgical suite overlooking a team perform. From above it looked so orderly, a choreographed dance that belied the split-second decision making and potential consequences should one misstep. Tsunade wasn't concerned, though. She'd trained Shizune well and had absolute faith in her longtime apprentice. Her visible discomfort was only due to the remaining vestiges of her phobia. Watching surgeries were to be an immersion therapy, a way to safely confront the symbol of her deeper issues.

Tsunade hadn't told Naruto she had hemophobia and he never inquired as to why she wasn't performing surgeries. He was, however, a very observant boy and while he may not understand a lot he does know the signs of discomfort and the periodic flinching of Tsunade's shoulders. Recalling some advice he read in a book once, Naruto simply reached out and held her hand. He missed the small smile she dawned at his gesture, his focus having returned to the surgery.

"Being a combat medic is like fighting a war on all fronts. Time is against you, your conditions aren't sterile and you often have enemies to worry about. Do you have enough supplies? Are you rested enough? Focused enough? Is there enough light to see? What if you have multiple patients? Who gets how much time? The development and refinement of medical ninjutsu has helped, the fewer surgeries we have to actually cut people open the better but even medical ninjutsu has stagnated in recent years."

"Why?"

"Honestly? And this is going to sound arrogant as hell but it's because I stopped creating them. Medics know more but treatments and jutsu? Not much. What if I hadn't left and had died? Who would have continued to push the field forward? This is why I'm glad Sensei called me back. He was right, Naruto. With us working together, I think we can make another leap in the medical field and maybe inspire some other people to get off their asses and stop hiding in my shadow," Tsunade said and saw Naruto nod in acknowledgment.

"Your security measures will go into full effect soon, we don't have many Genin on staff so their background checks will be completed soon and I've been impressed with your pharmacology studies. Now, I want you to move toward actual treatment seals. After you get back from your next mission I want to start your surgical rotation in earnest which means you'll need to be here in person until I say otherwise. Your clones can do rounds with our diagnosticians… though you are to no longer have them henge into other people."

The transforming of the clones was initially agreed upon to not draw attention to Tsunade taking on a new student. It just looked like she was testing out a pilot program. It was also an attempt, on Hiruzen's part as it was his suggestion, to insulate Naruto from biased staff or even patients. Tsunade was of the opinion that people either dealt with him being there or they could get the hell out but ultimately deferred to her sensei's wish. But if he were going to be seeing more and more patients, there had to be a level of trust so the deception had to end.

"Ok," was Naruto's response. Henge, no henge, it didn't really matter to him.

"Good. Now, as I was saying, unsterile environments and live combat zones are one of the more enduring issues. Do you think you could develop some type of medical room barrier?" Tsunade asked and watched as Naruto stroked his chin lightly. Barriers, be they ninjutsu or fuinjutsu required a good deal of chakra. The more you required the barrier to do the more chakra it took to maintain it, that was simply just the reality of art. One that could offer protection, cloaking (Naruto's idea as if the enemy can't see you they are less likely to attack you) as well as some kind of filter to purify the area and keep it that way would be costly. But possible, the Uzumaki thought.

"Hey, before you go too far down that rabbit hole, I want to stop you," Tsunade said and laughed as Naruto developed a small pout. "Another idea I want you to consider is some kind of stasis as operating in the field is not always possible. I've attempted to create a jutsu to accomplish this but haven't been successful. I couldn't localize the effects. Those are the next two projects I want you to tackle and I'll get you whatever resources you need. Any questions?"

"How long do I have?"

"There's no timetable but the sooner the better, of course. Any more questions?"

"No."

"Alright, one last thing; did you treat Emiko Yamanaka last night? And did you restrain Inoichi while doing so?"

"Yes to both," Naruto answered and watched Tsunade laugh again. "You have a nice laugh, sensei," Naruto said and she did. It wasn't like Hinata's giggle but there was a melodious quality to it. Tsunade waved off the compliment, she knew he meant it and there wasn't anything more to it.

"Well, you did the right thing. Never let anything prevent you from offering the care needed once you accept someone as a patient. Though you didn't win any points with Inoichi so I'd watch that."

"I did as he asked so I don't understand his hostility," Naruto said, tilting his head. He found Ino-chan's dad to be confusing.

Tsunade sighed, not wanting to be the one to have this conversation but, clearly, sensei hadn't done so. "Naruto, Inoichi doesn't really dislike you for anything you've done. It's because you're a boy who has the attention of his daughter. He thinks you want to have sex with her and that it's his job to protect her virtue."

"I do want to have sex with her, I told her as much. I don't see how that's his concern."

Tsunade looked mildly surprised at the boy's bold admission but recovered well, "Why that is his concern is a very long, complicated, and frankly sexist discussion and you should ask Sensei if you want to know. What's important here is that Inoichi doesn't dislike Naruto Uzumaki, he dislikes Ino's male friend" she offered and Naruto tilted his head in the other direction. In another situation, Tsunade might find it adorable.

"So, any boy who may show such interest in Ino-chan may receive a similar reaction?"

"Yes, and you admitting you want to have sex with her didn't help matters."

"I didn't know you shouldn't do that, not until Hinata-chan told me. I don't do it anymore."

"Well, that's progress, I guess. But you shouldn't be friends with girls just in hopes of having sex with them," Tsunade admonished, realizing being a sensei to a boy was going to be hard.

"I'm not, the two are unrelated. I didn't know Ino-chan and I were friends until after I offered to have sex with her. I'll still be her friend even if she doesn't. Same with Hinata-chan. I wouldn't stop learning from you and Shizune-senpai just because neither of you wanted to have sex with me. That'd be weird," Naruto replied as if he were stating the obvious. Tsunade amended her last thought, it wasn't going to be hard but incredibly hard.

"I… I don't know what to say in response to that so you can leave. Take Tonton with you, she needs some exercise," Tsunade said, really needing a drink right now. She also decided she needed to limit Naruto's exposure to Jiraiya as the world didn't need another gallant pervert.

* * *

Jiraiya was settling in for the night. He'd just met with an important contact but one that didn't have a lot of useable information. That was maddening but it was the question this contact had, questions concerning Naruto that put the Toad Sage on edge and wondering if he should cut his losses. He'd need to speak to Sensei about it once he returned.

He also needed to talk to his godson. He'd drug his feet on Anko's cursed seal and he knew Naruto was losing patience with his lack of help. He should just explain his reasons and hoped the boy would listen. The kid seemed rational but the thing about adolescents is that their irrationality flares up at the worst times, even among prodigies. But to delay any further was risking his relationship and he couldn't allow that, not at all.

The large man sighed as he kicked off his geta and got into bed. He was mildly surprised` to see a messenger toad appear with a missive from Naruto, the gaki hadn't contacted him in such a way before but he was glad Naruto was getting familiar with all the toads. He unfurled the scroll and read the contents quickly before unsealing some documents contained in a storage seal at the bottom. He looked at the messenger toad. Then back to the scroll. Then the toad again before exclaiming, "What the fuck is this?"

Jiraiya's surprise was understandable given the message contained therein. He couldn't believe what his godson had done. He was going to wring that brat's neck and yell at Sensei for allowing him to grow up like that. Jiraiya read the scroll one last time to make sure he wasn't losing his mind.

 _Jiraiya,_

 _My calls for assistance have gone unheeded and I have yet to be given a reason as to why. In an effort to obtain your acquiescence I have bought your publishing house. Within the storage seal at the bottom are the copies of the sales agreement and other official documents. Until you render the aid I need to help Mitarashi Anko-chan or explain, fully, why you have not no new copies of existing Icha Icha books will be printed and all future editions will be shelved. If you try to break your contract, which I now own, I will sue in the courts of Fire Country. I await your response._

 _Uzumaki Naruto_


	11. Chapter 11

Four Jounin sat in a dimly lit bar. One looks exhausted, one bored, one anticipatory and the last looked quite youthful. The quad of notable Jounin sensei were all waiting for the guest of honor to arrive but as said guest was delayed, they'd started the party early. All noticed how tired Asuma looked. Well, tired and frazzled, as if he'd been having a difficult last few days. Gai was the first to remark.

"Your youthful flames need replenishing, Asuma!"

Asuma grimaced at Gai's booming voice but couldn't deny the observation. He wasn't feeling the least bit youthful. "I'll be fine, although if any of you is interesting in trading kunoichi I'll gladly consider it."

Kurenai frowned at Asuma's statement, having learned a little about Ino from Hinata. She was under the impression the Yamanaka heiress had been taking her training and vocation more seriously. She didn't get a chance to voice it, as Kakashi beat her to it.

"What has Ino done? Naruto talks about her often and she doesn't seem all that bad."

"Five days ago I would have agreed with you. She was just an eager genin wanting to learn new things and train to be better than the girls of her generation."

"What happened to change that?"

"Well...

* * *

The Sarutobi was surprised to see Ino there so early. She looked calm, ready but entirely too calm. He labeled it youthful overconfidence and didn't think too much more about it. The pair stood in silence after a brief greeting. Minutes passed and the boys were bordering on late. Asuma bit onto an unlit cigarette as he watched the final two members of his team arrive. He could tell something was off, Choji had a thin layer of sweat forming on his face and Shikamaru looked not just lazy but actually tired. He knew they weren't the hardest workers but they were both pretty fit for genin so that confused him. Ino, however, remained composed as she stood across from them.

"Alright, this is a friendly spar so no death blows and no maiming, anything else is fair game. Any questions?" His students all shake their head in the negative so he gives permission, "Then you can begin."

"We quit," Shikamaru said stopping Ino in her tracks.

"What do you mean you quit? You haven't done anything yet," Asuma barked, truly disappointed in his shinobi.

"I don't know how but Ino poisoned us. I-yawn- can barely think and Choji is -yawn- already breathing heavy. This is too troublesome," Shika finished before he flopped on the ground with zero grace, Choji following right behind him.

Asuma absorbed Shikamaru's words but couldn't fully comprehend them. He knew what each word meant separately but together… Ino didn't really poison her teammates to win a bet, did she? He turned to his lone kunoichi and saw her dawning a large smile.

"I did it Asuma-sensei! I even understood the secret lesson!"

"Secret lesson?" he asked while quirking an eyebrow.

"Yea! You wanted me to treat this as an assassination mission, that's why I had Shika's and Choji's moms poison them both and got blackmail material on Choji." Choji grimaced at that but didn't have the energy to protest it. He'd live in fear later, he needed a nap.

'WHAT!' he yelled internally but said, "Good job, Ino." She nodded. Asuma was in the process of reevaluating the Yamanaka. She wasn't afraid of hard work but her reasons were oft immature, he assumed her desire to learn his signature weapon was for similar reasons. And while he didn't mean for her to derive a deeper meaning from this that she had was impressive… that she would poison her teammates was concerning. That this changed seemingly happened overnight was even more so.

Asuma would spend the next hour talking to Ino as she undid all of her unused traps, from pitfalls meant to sprain ankles to tripwires that triggered all manner of projectiles. She even had explosives and flash bangs prepped. Once finished he walked her through some beginner moves with his knuckle knives, they were a poor fit in her smaller hands but he resolved to have her measured for her own pair. A deal was a deal.

* * *

"She really had her teammates poisoned the night before a spar?" Kurenai asked in mild disbelief.

"Yep."

"To win a bet?" She pressed.

"To complete a mission," Asuma corrected. "She really looked underneath the underneath on that one. Wonder who could have put that in her head," Asuma mused while giving a pointed look at Kakashi.

"I've never spoken to Ino a day in my life, Asuma."

"Oh, not you. That blond brat of yours."

"Mah, mah, mah. Naruto-kun is far from a brat," Kakashi said with an eye smile. "You'll see, Asuma, he is the chosen one."

"The chosen one for what?" Kurenai asked but Kakashi simply waved her off. Before she could speak again, Gai chimed in.

"INO'S FLAMES OF YOUTH BURN BRIGHTLY!"

"Gai, take it down a notch or twelve," Kakashi requested.

"Sorry,"

"Yea, whatever. Because of him, I now have to watch everything I say, worried Ino will get some hidden meaning I'm not actually communicating. It's all so troublesome."

"You sound like your Nara," Kurenai pointed out.

"What can I say, the kid has a point. You haven't long since gotten back, Kurenai; how was your mission?"

"Dreadful."

"Sounds like there is a story there," Kakashi said and watched the Genjutsu Mistress frown.

"Three siblings tried to kill the others for their inheritance and fail; getting stranded in the process. We escort them back home where a fourth sibling, our actual client, accidentally kills the three murderous siblings with a crossbow. In his distress, the final sibling takes his life and the town rejoices as that money now goes to the public coffers. Shino actually laughed at the absurdity of it and that was the most unsettling thing of all."

"Damn…," Asuma said but wouldn't get to expound as the lady of the hour had finally arrived.

Anko Mitarashi walked into the bar, not in her usual attire. Instead, she wore a spaghetti strapped black cocktail dress that stopped just above her knees with matching heels. Her hair was actually down and the torture expert was flashing a wide grin.

"You guy's start without me?" she questioned as she took a seat.

"Not really, though it is very Kakashi like to invite us out and arrive late," Asuma observed.

"Sorry, I got held up but I'm here now so let's celebrate!" She exclaimed and watched Kakashi flash through several hand signs and flaring his chakra, causing a simple privacy barrier to emerge.

"Now, we can celebrate without any unkind ears listening in, ne?" The Copy Ninja said.

"YOSH! WE MUST ALLOW OUR YOUTHFUL FLAMES TO BURN BRIGHTLY FOR ANKO'S NEW FOUND FREEDOM FROM THAT DASTARDLY SNAKE!" Gai bellowed, causing everyone to wince.

"So loud, but he's right. Here's to Anko, finally being free of that cursed seal," Kurenai added. All raised their drinks for their friend.

"So Anko, how did you manage such a youthful accomplishment? Did Jiraiya-sama have a breakthrough?"

"I think you know it wasn't Jiraiya-sama that removed this from me, Gai. It was Kakashi's brat," Anko said and saw Kurenai and Gai smile, one in fondness and the other in acknowledgment. Kakashi had no outward change but she knew how proud he was. She was surprised to see Asuma initially frown before covering it.

"Are you finally going to share how it happened?" Kurenai asked. She'd known Anko had been free of the seal but the Special Jounin hadn't relayed any details, wanting to save it until her outing.

"Sure, but keep in mind I understand the fuinjutsu about as well as Kakashi understands proper decorum."

"Mah, mah, Anko-chan. I understand it perfectly well, I simply don't care."

"Sure, so it happened like this,"

* * *

Anko entered the Hokage's office, having been summoned, with no idea as to why. She didn't like having her interrogations interrupted but withheld any complaints as when the Old Man called you answered, no questions asked. She was not expecting to see two of the three Sannin and two-thirds of the Elder's Council present along with the Fuinjutsu Chibi. The atmosphere was tense, though none of the ninja present allowed it to be shown on their faces.

Anko bowed, "Hokage-sama" she offered neutrally.

"Thank you for your prompt arrival, Anko-chan. I requested you here to inform you we are now able and ready to remove your seal," Hiruzen said with a kind smile. Anko allowed herself a small smile but no other show of the elation she was feeling.

"When can it be removed, Hokage-sama?"

"Now," a decidedly younger voice said.

"Now?" she asked in surprise but the blond never took his eyes off the Hokage so she looked back at the village leader and saw him nod.

"Well, now seems to work. Is there anything she needs, Naruto-kun?"

"To go home and shower, removing the natural oils of the skin helps the ink adhere to the skin. Also, a list of preferred foods and drink. Once you're ready just report to the same facility I initially reviewed your seal."

"And you're confident you can do this, gaki?"

"I will not fail," Naruto said, his eyes never leaving her own. She nodded and departed, thankful for the run home to help remove some of the giddiness she was experiencing. Anko took her shower, being thorough just to make sure nothing would go wrong. Thirty minutes later she was entering the ANBU facility and saw the Chibi outside the sealing chamber, informing her it was a clone and taking her food and drink order before disappearing into the tunnels. Once she entered the sealing chamber she saw various symbols drawn on the walls and one table awaiting her, along with the Chibi and Tsunade-sama.

"Hey, what's Tsunade-sama doing here and where is Jiraiya-sama?"

"While we are confident we know how the seal will react, we don't know how your body will. I am here to ensure any complications that arise can be seen too immediately. As for Jiraiya-"

"He is not needed. I have walked him and two other adept seal users through my designs and each have cleared its use. Would you like me to walk you through the process, Anko-chan?"

"Yea, sure."

"The main array will consist of three layers. The first is to remove the independent consciousness, sending it to a pocket dimension that will implode with said consciousness. The second will siphon off that energy contained within the seal into an independent storage seal. Lastly, all other functions will be dismantled and the seal will be unraveled."

Anko listened intently to Naruto's words, nodding along but something occurred to her, "You said the main array, is there more?"

"Yes. I will graft a partial, supplementary chakra circulatory system onto yours. It will be how the seals for the errant consciousness and the unstable energy will be removed. I also have developed seals that will keep your body still and relaxed. The calmer your chakra flow is the easier this will be and stillness will aid in that. Finally, Tsunade-sensei will use medical ninjutsu to anesthetize you but if you should need to awaken immediately I have a seal for that."

"Ok… that's a lot. But how did you manage it?"

"We were alerted to a substance that can produce a special kind of chakra ink, it will make it possible to trigger the seal in a controlled way and ultimately remove it," Tsunade answered.

Anko nodded at the small blond again, "What do I need to do?"

"You have to remove your clothes so I can paint the seal," Naruto instructed and then stepped out of the room.

"Why did he bother to leave, he's going to see it all anyway?" Anko asked and watch the Slug Sannin shrug.

"It's pretty standard at the hospital to give your patience some privacy. Being naked and getting undressed in front of someone can feel decidedly different."

"Oh, when he called you sensei?"

"Yep, he's my student for the time being."

"Kid is going to give me a complex, I really need to up my training," Anko said, removing the last of her clothing. She was considered talented, it's what drew Orochimaru to her but clearly, the blond was operating on another level. Anko heard Tsunade knock on the door, a signal Anko was undressed and the Uzumaki returned. He wasted no time drawing the seals on her, utilizing a team of clones, the ink felt cool against her skin. After about an hour she was lying on her back, drifting off thanks to Tsunade's medical ninjutsu. Her last image being of unbelievably blue eyes looking into her own, not an ounce of apprehension or doubt to be seen.

When Anko awoke, it was five hours later and her senses returned in sequence. First, she felt and not how she expected to. She felt warm, intoxicatingly warm… and heavy but that too was pleasurable. She thought she could just curl up and sleep forever but her sense of smell came back and the aroma of dango called to her. Not even the promise of endless sleep could match the seductress known as dango. Next came sound as she could hear someone gently shifting around her. Finally, she opened her eyes, the bright light making her squint.

"Welcome back, Anko," Tsunade said.

"Did it work?" Anko asked. She was alive so the seals couldn't have completely failed but that didn't mean she was free and her chakra felt too chaotic to check herself.

"Yes. Naruto removed the cursed seal."

Anko willed the tears away from her eyes, she was internally joyous but she refused to cry even in happiness. She'd wasted too many tears over her sensei and promised she'd never do it again, not even at the severance of their final bond. She hastily moved on from thinking about him, she no longer had to think about him at all. She was untethered. Unencumbered. Free. Her life was truly hers once again. Anko listened to Tsunade as she gave her a medical rundown. Apparently, it'd take a few days for her chakra system to settle but once it did she'd have her fully chakra capacity back and outside of maybe needed to train her control again there weren't any significant issues Anko would have to contend with. When Tsunade asked if Anko had any questions, she only had to.

"Where's the gaki?"

"I sent him home. Removing the natural energy from your system required your chakra and it be in near balance but your reserves weren't large enough for that so Naruto had to transfer some chakra to you. Transferring raw chakra to someone safely is incredibly taxing, even when he had a seal prepared to aid in the transfer. Once the cursed seal was removed he was wiped and needed rest."

"I can't believe he did all of this for me," Anko said.

Tsunade laughed, momentarily confusing Anko. "I know it may not be obvious but if you really get to know him, you'll find he's a very caring young man. He simply doesn't express it as most others would. He reminds me a lot of my Great Uncle."

"No offense, Tsunade-sama, but I was always told Nidaime-sama was emotionless"

"Oh, he could appear to be. But he also used to sneak me sweets behind Mito-baasama's back when I was little. People like that, they show they care by what they do."

"Why would he care about me? We'd only met once before Jiraiya-sama had him check my seal and it was more confusing than anything."

"You'll have to ask him yourself. Now, is there anything else?"

"Yea, why do I feel so warm and kinda weighed down? The effects of a jutsu?" Tsunade snorted.

"Yea, fuinjutsu. It's the blanket, it has weight and warming seals on it. He said you could keep it if you like it."

"I really do."

"Count yourself lucky, I'm still waiting on mine and I'm his flipping sensei," Tsunade said in annoyance.

"I did let him see my tits, Tsunade-sama." Tsunade gained a tic mark wondering if the little pervert had bumped Anko to the front of the line for that very reason.

* * *

"And I've just been taking it easy for the last few days. But it's gone, it's really gone. That sick fuck was bested by a twelve-year-old and it makes me smile every time I think about it," Anko concluded, causing Gai to shed manly tears of youth.

Kakashi sat there, listening intently and realized Anko didn't know the whole story. If she had, I wonder how she'd feel about Naruto blackmailing a Sannin for her. Jiraiya, he recalled, was not amused at all by his godson's ploy nor the immediate response when confronted…

* * *

"Where's Kushina's brat?" Jiraiya barked at Kakashi, confusing the Copy Ninja. Jiraiya looked genuinely angry and that he referred to Naruto as Kushina's and not Minato's was a sign his favorite student did something.

"I don't feel I can, in good conscience, lead you to my precious student when you're like this," Kakashi replied lazily and saw Jiraiya's facial features tighten.

"The brat is threatening Icha Icha, Kakashi; this is serious!" And Jiraiya was right, this was serious. How could Kushina's son do that? How had he done it? Kakashi didn't care he just needed to find Naruto and set things right, maybe levy some punishment for this grievous act.

" **Kuchiyose no Jutsu** " Kakashi said, slapping his hand to the ground. Without ceremony, his entire ninken pack was there, awaiting orders; not threatening his Icha Icha. "Find Naruto and once you do one of you alert me," Kakashi ordered and watched his summons depart. "We'll set this straight, Jiraiya-sama, don't worry."

"I'm not worried. I'm going to wring his little neck," Jiraiya replied and continued to mutter several more threats. Five minutes later Bull returned, ready to lead Kakashi to the betrayer's location. They moved rapidly toward Naruto, arriving after a short commute and watched as Kakashi's summons turned on him. The no good mutts were lying on their backs, getting belly rubs from shadow clones as, he assumed, the original Naruto was speaking to Sai. Kakashi ignored the traitors as he dashed toward Naruto and lifted him up by the back of his jacket, the short blond now dangling in Kakashi's grip as he faced his sense.

"Hatake-sensei," he greeted.

"Don't Hatake-sensei me, Naruto. Why have you threatened the Icha Icha? Tell the truth and your punishment will be light." Naruto squinted and tilted his head until he saw Jiraiya approaching and realized Jiraiya snitched.

"I require Jiraiya to act in a manner he would prefer not to so I obtained leverage to coerce him."

"What kind of leverage?" Kakashi asked, just starting to realize he hadn't known how Naruto was threatening the Icha Icha.

"I bought the Publishing House that distributes the book series. I will not allow any future releases or reprintings of existing editions until I get what I need."

Now, that threw Kakashi for a loop. It was damn impressive and in almost any other situation he'd buy the kid a present for being a damn fine shinobi but his most prized porn was on the line. Kakashi was torn, his pride as a sensei and his perversion were at war and he didn't know what to do. He needed more information.

"Naruto, what do you need from Jiraiya so desperately that you would go that far?"

"Those who disobey the rules are trash, this is true, but those who abandon their comrades are less than trash. Jiraiya was making me less than trash, Hatake-sensei." This threw Kakashi for a further loop, an additional loop? Loops abound as Naruto wouldn't joke about those words or use them mindlessly. Kakashi wasn't sure Naruto could use any words mindlessly but certainly not those. Kakashi dropped Naruto, allowing the Uzumaki to walk past him.

"Have you come to be of assistance, Jiraiya of the Sannin?" Naruto asked and all present could hear the slight recrimination in his voice.

"I don't give in to blackmail, Naruto; not even for a worthy cause. You should have just been patient and trusted me. I-"

"I don't," Naruto replied.

"Excuse me?"

"I don't trust you-"

"How could you-"

"And you don't trust me," Naruto finished and watched an unknown expression form on Jiraiya's face.

"Is that what you think? I don't trust you?"

"Yes."

Jiraiya appeared torn, starting to speak but stopping before any words formed. The Toad Sage sighed, realizing he might have alienated his godson with his inaction. "The toads have a special oil that conducts natural energy. I know a process to make it into ink."

"And you've known the entire time?" Naruto asked.

"Yes." Before Jiraiya had gotten the one-syllable word out completely Naruto had already summoned his staff and was attempting to brain Jiraiya. Kakashi was too fast and grabbed the other end, lifting Naruto off the ground and robbing him of a majority of his power.

"Please release my staff, Hatake-sensei."

"No-can-do, Naruto-kun. You should hear Jiraiya out and not just attack him, that's very much unlike you."

"I need not hear his justification, I already know. He prefers I not alter my seal and realized this toad oil would be a means in which I could. To prevent me from achieving one goal he forced Anko-chan to languish as I failed at another. Is this correct, Jiraiya of the Sannin?"

"Yea, kid, that's it. Minato gave-"

"I do not care," Jiraiya flinched as if struck by those words. "Seals either work or they do not work. Sentiment does not alter that reality nor does it give you the right to tell me what I can do to my body."

"If what you do threatens the entire village, yes I do. You could weaken the seal, Naruto."

"And I would die. I am uninterested in death, therefore I have great motivation to make sure any additions or changes I made were thoroughly researched. If this were about the danger you would have looked over my preliminary array but you did not."

"Minato sacrificed-"

"I. Do. Not. Care."

"Well, I do, brat! He was like a son to me and I won't let you go mucking around in his final work because you think you can do better. The seal works as designed, and as long as I have your key I won't loosen it so you can make changes.

"I have already made another key, I do not need your permission."

"You do to get the toad oil, I'll make sure they won't supply you and I'll only give you enough for Anko's procedure."

"You could have always done that, me merely knowing of its existence doesn't mean I know how to procure it. I find your irrational behavior vexing and wish to no longer be in your company," Naruto said, resealing his staff and landing on the ground and turning to Kakashi. "Hatake-sensei, I understand those books mean a lot to you and my threat to shelve them were only an opening gambit. I had other methods to gain compliance but they will not be necessary. As it is within my rights, I name you the editor of all Icha Icha manuscripts until further notice.

I request, in return, two doton jutsu of B rank. Sai, I will see you soon but I find myself in need of solitude. Good day." Naruto didn't wait for any response, simply departing in a shunshin.

"That was a real dickless move," Sai said to Jiraiya and the Toad Sage sighed and departed, his shoulders slumped as he did.

* * *

"Hey Kakashi, you still with us?" Anko asked.

"Mah, did you say something?" He asked in response.

"So hip!" Gai said and Anko merely snickered at the cyclops.

"Anko, you never told us why you were late," Kurenai reminded her.

"Oh, I wanted to thank the gaki as I hadn't seen him since he removed it. It seemed he was in the middle of a sleepover of sorts, I know I saw at least three girls in his apartment." Unseen by all was the last Hatake doing a small fist pump. He knew he had chosen wisely, Minato-sensei's son couldn't fail. The Gentleman Pervert was well on his way.

* * *

"Haku sleeps with me sometimes because she gets cold," Naruto said to his guests. Anko had spotted three but there were actually four girls in Naruto's apartment; Hinata, Ino, Haku and Tenten. The first three were there to cheer up their friend as Haku informed the others about Naruto's argument with Jiraiya. Tenten was there, initially, because she was impressed with the seals Naruto provided his team which aided in their mission. The budding weapons mistress was unabashed in her desire to get some of that "sweet fuinjutsu".

Since he had them present, Naruto asked their opinion on the mattresses and bedding he planned to provide for every bedroom in his furnished apartments. They all like the mattress, a nice firm mattress that still had decent give and support. It was when Hinata asked about Naruto's inspiration for the heated and weighted blanket that he let it slip that Haku, sometimes, would share his bed. The Uzumaki assumed her bloodline simply made her run cold and Haku allowed him to think as much without ever truly confirming it. She just liked her Naru-snuggles.

Hinata noticed the slight changes in Haku's otherwise angelic facial expression and concluded the Yuki was full of it. Not one to come in second or be denied she hastily called for a sleepover, rushing out with Ino to get some new sleepwear as well as inform her clan she would be visiting a friend for the night. She was lucky her father was out himself so she didn't have to answer too many questions; as was the same for Ino.

The two heiresses were walking back to Naruto's apartment when Hinata had a minor realization, "This could be considered an impromptu celebration of your win, Ino-chan."

"Yea, I guess so. I haven't done something like this since Sakura and I ended our friendship," Ino said with a hint of regret.

"There is time for you two to make up," Hinata reassured her. "Besides, you need to show me the ropes, I've never done this before."

The Yamanaka hated how not surprised she was by that. She had responsibilities and expectations as an heiress but not to the degree as Hinata, only worsened by her early shyness. She resolved to introduce her newest friend to a bit of youthful normality as spending the night at a friend's house was a right of passage.

"Don't worry, Hinata-chan, I'll walk you through it. It's mostly just staying up too late, eating junk food and gossiping."

"I doubt I have much to gossip about," the Hyuuga lamented.

"And we will certainly have to fix that but what I want to know is who was that hot chick all up on your man and why was she so thankful to him."

Hinata had a faint blush, "Naruto-kun isn't my man," 'yet', "we're just best friends."

"Oh, so you inviting yourself to stay over isn't an attempt to sleep in his bed like Haku has?"

Hinata adopted a stern visage and replied, "It is below a Hyuuga's pride to do such a thing," and then broke out in snickers when she saw Ino become momentarily horrified.

"Never use the Hyuuga mask on me, that's scary."

"Sorry, Ino-chan but I had to get you back for teasing me about Naruto-kun." The two kunoichi continued to chat as they reached their destination and were greeted by Haku, in a soft pink kimono. The Yuki also had three whisker marks drawn on each cheek and some bunny ears atop her head.

"Welcome back," Haku greeted as she ushered them in. As they entered they saw Tenten, having the same whisker marks and panda ears talking to Naruto, wearing fennec fox ears, about something, though she sounded more pleading as she rocked the bowl of popcorn on her lap. Naruto was engaging, perfectly calm as he too had a bowl of goodies resting on his lap.

"C'mon, Chibi, tell me where you got those restriction bead thingies."

"I made them, Tenten-san but they are still prototypes. I haven't submitted them to the village quartermaster yet."

"How good are you at fuinjutsu? I do self-study but it's slow going. When did you start?"

"I started when I was eight after Iruka-sensei introduced the topic at the academy."

"And how good are?" Tenten pressed. The blond's teammate said he made those beads, though from Kakashi-sensei's reaction, the pinkette wasn't supposed to say it.

"Good for my age, Tenten-san," Naruto answered and heard a series of snickers behind him. He turned to see his first two friends had returned. "Hinata-chan, Ino-chan you're back. You have to try this concoction, what did you call it Tenten-san?"

"Puppy Chow and just Tenten is fine, Naruto."

"Oh, ok, Tenten. But this is incredibly delicious and Tenten didn't even measure anything she just used her imprecise eyes and yet the outcome was stellar."

"How are you so excited by this and not the tagless fuinjutsu you use?" Tenten asked in exasperation, amusing the other girls in attendance.

"Those were pretty easy to make, honestly and I've never had this 'Puppy Chow' before. My Oji-san always recommended fruit when I wanted something sweet."

"What do you mean, easy? I looked at the seals, those were not standard and they were not painted on. Chakra etching is advanced, most sealing adepts never learn it," Tenten said, voice becoming elevated at how obtuse the boy was being.

"Oh, they should," Naruto said in response, not realizing he was driving his guest mad.

"Tenten, you should understand that sealing simply comes easily to Naruto-kun so he doesn't understand how truly impressive some of the things he can do are," Hinata added, trying to placate the girl.

"Besides, achieving the proper ratio using your eyes is much harder. Tell me, Tenten, how do you know how much peanut butter to chocolate to use?"

"I… I don't know, Naruto. Practice?" The Team 9 kunoichi spoke to the boy who seemed more enthralled with a simple party snack than any normal person should be.

"What's with the whiskers and animal ears?" Ino asked, seeing a lull in the conversation.

Haku chose to respond, "Tenten said that these types of things often have themes and given Naruto-kun is hosting I just thought it would be fun to mimic his adorable whisker marks. There are two more in the bedroom for when you get changed," and taking the hint, Hinata and Ino exited to the bedroom. The two return, each wearing camisoles, Hinata's lavender, and Ino's lilac, and black pajama pants. Hinata had a pair of cat ears atop her head while Ino had dog ears, Haku thought it'd be insulting to get pig ears.

When they returned, Haku spoke, "Now that everyone is here and appropriately dressed," Tenten grumbled at that as she was in a baggy shirt and shorts, the other girls making her feel a tad self-conscious about her appearance, "what do we do?"

"Well," Ino started, "usually it would just be a lot of gossip about cute boys, though in the academy it was just Sasuke-kun."

"Just Sasuke?" asked Tenten in disbelief and saw Ino nod.

"Honestly, it sounds creepy in retrospect but I think him being a blank slate let us attribute whatever narrative we wanted. An ideal crush."

"Ah, a lot of girls were like that with Neji. He was last year's prodigy graduate that all the girls fawned over. Even I had a bit of a crush on him."

"Had? What changed?" asked Haku.

"I'm around him all the time. He's talented and will be an amazing ninja one day but he treats too many people around him like they are less than, including our teammate Lee. Cute looks and talent don't wash away being a jerk. If he ever resolves his crap, who knows but for now the spell is broken."

"What about your other teammate, Lee?" inquired Ino.

Tenten chuckled, "Lee tries harder than anyone you will ever meet. He gives his all at everything, including being a supportive teammate and is a great friend. I just wish Gai-sensei would encourage Lee to be his own person and not a carbon copy of himself," Tenten finished with a huff.

"What about you, Hinata; how's your team?"

"Good. Shino-kun is really smart and level headed, Kiba can be brash but keeps our spirits up. They both work well in teams so we mesh really well together."

"Do you just see them as teammates or is there some potential there?" Tenten asked. Before she could answer, Hinata noticed a certain blue-eyed Uzumaki was now giving her his full attention. She shook her head while replying,

"No. We'll be good friends but I don't see either of them like that." She suppressed a giggle when Naruto returned to munching on the Puppy Chow.

"You're both lucky. My teammates are so unmotivated. I get it with Shikamaru, he understands everything so fast that it's nothing to move through life without much effort but one day he's going to come up against something he can't understand or outthink.

Choji is so passive and he lets Shika do his thinking for him. Worst of all, I got labeled a fangirl so they dismiss me when I say we need to train more. So, now, I have to just kick their butts until they listen to me. What about you, Naruto-kun?"

"Hm?" he asked, wordlessly as his mouth was full.

"Tell us about your team, what do you think of them, Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked.

Naruto quickly swallowed and then began to stroke his chin in thought, "We are not close as a team. The dynamic between Hatake-sensei and I is good and I enjoy his teachings and presence. Sasuke-san often seems bothered by me but as he won't vocalize the issue nor how he feels I cannot say what the exact problem is. Sakura-san can sometimes be quite amiable but other times seems upset with me, given she shouts at me but I am unable to deduce a pattern and therefore a reason why. She also seems reluctant to defy Sasuke-san which makes her distant during missions.

We work well enough together but we often require Hatake-sensei to unilaterally resolve disputes. There is no real synthesis between us and I often feel… cold on the inside when in their presence for prolonged periods. I think I am the issue but I do not know how I am the issue so I can't help resolve it. I wish, like each of you, I could find friends in my teammates but outside of Hatake-sensei, I doubt I will."

All the girls frowned at Naruto's words, Hinata more than the rest. She admonished herself for not asking sooner, sometimes forgetting that simply because he does not complain doesn't mean nothing is bothering him. His team's dynamic is clearly off, the team lacking the bullheaded loud mouth she has in Kiba and Ino provides for her team. Instead, it seems each person just works around the others and does it long enough to complete missions. Not ideal, as when placing your life in the hands of others this type of teamwork only has the appearance of professionalism but it was an illusion.

"Once you make Chunin you can change teams, Naruto-kun," Hinata said in response and saw a spark of something in his eyes.

"Do you think I could work with Sai?"

"It's a possibility," Hinata answered.

"I would hate to leave Hatake-sensei, he has a lot left to teach me but I think it would be… enjoyable to work with an actual friend."

"We still haven't really hung out with Sai, Naruto-kun," Ino said.

"Oh, well Haku has but I'll try to arrange something. Maybe a training day and a picnic? That's what we normally do."

"I'd be up for it," Ino answered.

"I would like that as well," Hinata agreed.

"Tenten, I know we may not be friends yet but you would be welcome to join us."

"Sure, some new training partners are always welcomed."

"And… you can bring more Puppy Chow?"

"Sure, Naruto," she said, rolling her eyes.

"And maybe you could add some peanuts?" he pressed, ignoring the snickering of the other girls as none were used to seeing him like this.

"Yea, I mean in theory you can add anything you want," she said, waving her hand dismissively.

Naruto's eyes widen slightly as he responded, "You can?"

"Yes," Tenten responded, laughing as it was simply too cute.

The quintet continued to chat throughout the night, Naruto dismissing himself at one point to get the bedroom arranged. He returned twenty minutes later to inform his guests the sleeping area was set and all followed him back. None of the girls were expecting to see the sleeping bags they brought arranged as one sleeping apparatus and they certainly didn't expect to see them levitating at equal height with Naruto's bed. This momentarily broke Tenten.

"Ok, you know what? No. Just… cut the shit, Naruto. How? And why are none of you freaking out because this is borderline magic to me and I know seals," she asked as she frantically gestured to the floating, makeshift bed.

"It's Naruto-kun," Ino summarized with a shrug. She didn't get it and trying to would give her wrinkles so why bother? She just chalked it up to Naruto-kun stuff and locked it in a box.

"Ok… I'm tired and you're doing things to my brain but can you tell me how the sleeping bags are floating?"

"Magnetic levitation," Naruto answered.

"Magnetic levitation?" Tenten asked, unsure of the answer and watch the Uzumaki nod. She wanted to press on but suspected that would only delay sleep and she needed sleep as this, apparent, seal prodigy was going to drive her batty.

Focused on Tenten's episode, Naruto hadn't realized there were two additional people in his bed. Haku being there didn't surprise him but Hinata did. Hatake-sensei said a gentleman never assumes so Naruto found it proper to ask, "Do you want me to sleep elsewhere, Hinata-chan?"

"Of course not, the bed is big enough for all three of us, if Haku-chan doesn't mind sharing."

"Oh, I don't mind, Hinata-chan. Do you? It can be quite the adjustment, having to share what was once exclusively yours."

"No, I don't mind. Unless the person I'm sharing with is not doing so in good faith then I use whatever means necessary to make sure sharing is never an issue again."

Naruto didn't know why but he felt their words had a deeper meaning than he was picking up and their smiles were not regular smiles but he shrugged it off as he wanted to get some sleep. After getting adjusted, the Uzumaki found himself sandwiched between Hinata-chan and Haku. Hinata-chan's back was pressed up against him and the girl would occasionally readjust, rubbing up against him in a way he didn't mind at all. Haku was behind him and periodically running her hands through his hair, which is something he enjoyed as well. He was a very content seal master at the moment.

After everyone was settled, it was Ino that realized something obvious, "Man, the lights are still on and I'm all comfy." Naruto, having no desire to move and having been forced out of bed to turn off the lights before already had a solution. He clapped twice and the room went dark.

"What the shit!" Tenten bellowed, her sanity fracturing. "Whatever, goodnight."

"Goodnight," Ino repeated.

"'Night, all," said the Yuki.

"Pleasant dreams," Hinata offered.

"Goodnight, dattebayo."


	12. Chapter 12

Naruto disliked alarm clocks. The noise, the bright, ugly display. He found waking up to one jarring but realized modern life did not allow one to simply awaken naturally. People had schedules to keep and things that needed to get done. He, as he often would, turned to fuinjutsu to solve this dilemma. Naruto created a seal that would mimic the natural process of leaving sleep.

The seal is set to a timer and initiates the process an hour before Naruto is to awaken. It was with the help of Tsunade-sensei and Shizune-sempai Naruto completed it, as the seal regulated brain chemistry and body temperature. And while they cleared the use for him, the two senior medics still wanted to run tests before they applied it to individuals without rapid healing abilities. The Uzumaki agreed, seeing the logic of their caution.

While Naruto greatly preferred this method of waking up to the old way, one downside is the seal doesn't naturally adapt to sleepovers. So, at four o'clock, Naruto was awake and alert while his guests were still slumbering peacefully. If Haku slept over, it generally wasn't a problem as she held him in a loose grip. However, Hinata-chan must have turned around at some point as the Hyuuga heiress clung to him rather tightly. Naruto reasoned she must have gotten cold last night.

He didn't mind her holding him so intently but it did make extracting himself rather difficult. As even she would admit, Hinata didn't do early mornings. Sleeping in and cinnamon rolls were two of the indulgences she'd allow herself. He didn't want to anger his friend or start her day off bad. A part of him wondered if he should simply stay. Haku had a soothing chill to her, like a sip of iced tea on a hot day. And Hinata-chan was… soft. And they both smelled really good.

Naruto frowned, slightly. He was not used to indecision of this nature. The right thing was clear, his Oji-san would say discipline is a discipline and good habits are forged over a lifetime but broken in a day. Getting up to begin his work was the correct path. But cool sips of iced tea as he laid on a soft blanket in a meadow of wildflowers tried to convince him otherwise.

Naruto took a deep breath. He knew what he needed to do but he would ask his Oji-san why he wavered, even if only briefly. Now, committed, Naruto moved on to figuring out how to get out of bed without waking up Hinata-chan. There wasn't anything around that could be used as a good replacement. Maybe if he could create a shadow clone and have it replace him. Naruto quickly dismissed that, he'd never done the jutsu seallessly though he resolved to change that. He'd also never tried with another person and didn't know the effects of it.

The Uzumaki was stuck, physically and mentally but he didn't panic. Naruto broke his problem down into smaller sections. He needed Hinata-chan to release him without her waking up, he needed to exit the bed while accomplishing the same. Hinata-chan's embrace, then, was the first issue. Naruto thought for a moment before covering his left hand in medical chakra. The blond reasoned that relaxing Hinata-chan's muscles would cause her grip to loosen and he could get loose. Slowly and gently Naruto ran his fingertips up and down Hinata-chan's back, adding a slight circular motion to the strokes as well.

The Hyuuga's grip did start to relax, as Naruto had predicted, but he was not prepared for the gentle moans that escaped her lips. He once again, briefly, wondered if he should simply stay before rejecting the idea. Quickly, one of Hinata-chan's arms moved to her side. Naruto swiftly ended his technique and then smoothly lifted himself up and over his best friend, whipping his leg over her just in time for her to roll over to Haku. He stood still for a moment and when he saw she was still asleep he exited the bedroom.

Making a clone to attend to breakfast, Naruto sat at his desk. He didn't get to do as much in person fuinjutsu work as his schedule was often full but before his daily training, he liked to take time to create his agenda. His long term goals were on hold until he learned the _Hiraishin_ but there were other projects he could tackle. First, Naruto was looking for ways to expand his offensive fuinjutsu and the idea he'd come up with is what he labeled emitter disks.

The discs would be slightly larger than a shuriken with bladed edges containing seals to make chakra flow easier. In the center of the disc would be a housing, likely metal, containing a multi-function seal, allowing Naruto to make them explode, shock or concuss his targets. He had some other ideas as well but fitting multiple fully functional and distinct arrays within one matrix was slightly difficult. He figured his clones would need most of the morning to complete it.

The Uzumaki's next idea was about his business. Naruto had several ideas for the consumer market but one problem was that civilians could not use chakra. Naruto had been thinking of how to make his products consumer friendly as while the seals can be activated without chakra, they still needed to be powered by it and that initial charge would initially run out. Naruto considered several possibilities. He toyed with the idea of a chakra battery and a subscription service to recharge them but squashed that idea, at least partially. Chakra was dangerous, giving it to people who knew little about it was putting them at risk.

Instead, Naruto considered how to have the seals be powered by electricity. The plans the seal master drew up would have an adapter that could recharge the products without having to ever plug them up, the seals simply drew from the charger when the products were low on power. Naruto even created plans to have adapters be designed for a set number of seals, as in not all adapters could seamlessly charge ten distinct seals but some would. Naruto knew that there would be a consequence to this, most directly it would increase the strain on Konoha's electric grid. Having considered that problem led Naruto to his third project.

Infrastructure was always a prime target in Hidden Villages and security always a priority. Naruto wondered if a way to protect their power grid would be to make it so diffuse, simply no one could attack it in its entirety. Naruto wanted to create seals that could turn solar energy into electricity. Naruto got the idea from the natural energy in Anko-chan's seal and how the toad oil could channel it. If he could design such a seal, the resource would be renewable and best yet is that said seals could be applied to the surrounding trees of Konoha's expansive forests; on the very buildings; or an apparatus designed specifically for that.

Seals for battery storage could be applied so people didn't simply lose the power they didn't use and the best thing of all, no one would really have to know where the real source of power came from. The old plants could remain, giving potential threats a target that wasn't as valuable as they assumed.

Lastly, as he did every morning, Naruto wrote down Haku's lesson plan for the day. Her calligraphy was already good so she'd likely be at a level to draw basic seals in a few weeks. She was also very smart so she was understanding much of the introductory theory. Naruto did as his Oji-san advised and tried not to go too fast or confuse her with too much detail. It was hard but Haku was really patient so his clones did their best.

With his plans drawn for today, Naruto sat at the table to eat a light breakfast of oatmeal with berries, two hard boiled eggs, and some green tea. Naruto ate his meal in silence as the clone cleaned up. Once finished, Naruto slipped back into his room to grab a change of clothes, changing in the bathroom and then departed for his workout. When he stepped outside, the air was brisk and he could see his breath. Naruto applied his resistance seals, slightly increasing the level from the day previous and then took off. He raced across the rooftops, the wind rushing through his hair.

Naruto enjoyed his morning runs, he'd enjoyed running since he was a boy. Moving faster and faster, changing levels as he moved from the center of the village to the training grounds. Being able to not think about anything but still aware, ready to react if need be. It was peaceful. Approaching rapidly, Naruto could see something in the distance. As he neared, he realized it was a person and someone he hadn't expected to see. Naruto slowed into a light jog before stopping right before the individual.

"Hatake-sensei," Naruto greeted.

"Naruto-kun," he greeted back with an eye smile while putting his book away. "I wasn't sure to expect you given you had overnight guests; how was it, by the way?"

"It was enjoyable."

"I bet, three girls in your apartment really should be."

"Four, Hatake-sensei. There were four," Naruto corrected.

"Even better," Kakashi replied.

"So, what are you doing here?"

"Oh, I got lost on the road of life and thought I'd stay here just in case you came by. I believe I owe you some doton jutsu, yes?"

"Ah, yes."

"Good, now I am going to amend our deal just a bit. One jutsu I'm going to teach you is C-rank but I have someone coming by to teach you another. The two I'm giving you will aid you in performing the third."

"As we hadn't reached an accord previously, I accept the amendment in good faith," Naruto said, holding out his hand. Kakashi shook it without a second thought.

"Excellent. Now, create some clones and divide them into two groups," Kakashi ordered, then created a shadow clone of himself. Naruto followed suit, creating nine shadow clones. "Alright, real Naruto and clone group one with me; I'll be teaching you the **Earth Style: Earth Flow River** while my clone will teach group two the **Earth Style: Tearing Earth Turning Palm** ," Kakashi informed the chibi army. He performed the earth technique slowly, showing each hand sign with a pause and then describing how the chakra should be molded and channeled into the feet. The Narutos listened intently and Kakashi felt he was being observed by his sensei again, blue eyes absorbing every detail, noting every flaw and planning for use in ways no one would ever expect.

Kakashi simply watched as his student dedicated himself, themselves, to the task of learning the two new jutsu. First, they each went through the hand signs, slowly but gradually speeding up. Next, they tried channeling chakra to it. Once they saw an effect they tried to use more or less to see the impact. Forty-five minutes into the practice the unnamed special guest finally arrived.

"God, you really start this early every day, kid?" Jiraiya asked, approaching Kakashi and Naruto. Naruto squinted at the man. He didn't know how to feel about Jiraiya as he'd never stayed mad at anyone but he thought the man had been inconsiderate. Jiraiya saw Naruto's face and took it to mean his godson was still cross with him.

"Hey, before you lay into me just let me talk, ok?" Naruto nodded, not bothering to correct the man. "I overreacted. You were right, I don't want you to adjust the seal. I am terrified if you do you will harm yourself and the village. I should have told you that instead of delaying your ability to remove Anko's seal. I'll talk to her later to apologize."

Naruto nodded again, it was as he thought. The man was irrational. His Oji-san had explained sentimentality to him once, saying fondness or love can affect one's view of situations. Naruto asked if that meant emotions should be kept out of decision making and his Oji-san stated that was incorrect as well. He said it was not emotion in itself that was an enemy to rational thinking but an inability to balance emotion against other considerations or facts. His Oji-san said humans were emotional beings and to ignore that would be no more logical than ignoring the sky is blue.

"What will you be teaching me today?" Naruto asked.

"So, we're good?" Naruto tilted his head. He didn't know what the Sannin was expecting.

"Yes."

Jiraiya speedily performed his hand signs and watched as the training ground became a mud pit. "This is the **Earth Style: Swamp of the Underworld** ," Jiraiya announced, turning around to see ten Narutos stroking their chins.

"I can put this to good use," the original said. Kakashi gave his student a thumbs up, Jiraiya wondered if he'd just resigned himself to being stuck in his own jutsu the next time he pissed the kid off.

In his office, overlooking the training of his grandson, Hiruzen wondered if most of his ninja simply lacked common sense. He'd instructed Jiraiya on how to make up with Naruto, telling the man to just be honest and straight with his godson or if he can't, cut a deal. He certainly didn't say give a twelve-year-old A-rank ninjutsu. But Jiraiya's overindulgence was really on a cherry atop his annoyance sundae as his ANBU commander, two advisors and Danzo were all in his office bothering him. The degree of annoyance was multiplied by them initiating a conversation they'd already had.

"Sandaime-sama, he's wasted as a genin. He removed the Cursed Seal, something we all thought impossible. That has to be promotion-worthy," his ANBU Commander argued. The upper tiers of the village heard rumors of Naruto's sealing ability but a lot of what would make a seal master gape in awe was simply too advanced for others. Many of his ninja found the fuin bracelets neat, not understanding the true complexity of their creation. But when you do the impossible, even if it isn't understood how, people take notice.

"Even if it were, he would not be going into ANBU once he was Chunin. He will never be an ANBU," Hiruzen stated, firmly. The long-serving Hokage was willing to let Naruto chart his path but as long as he held breath in his body he'd never allow his grandson to join the elite organization.

"According to Kakashi, he has the maturity and mindset for it. And with his sealing ability, his primary role could be of an instructor, only taking the occasional mission," the Commander pushed back.

"Naruto-kun doesn't need to be in a situation that encourages him to repress his emotions, ANBU does just that. He is building bonds now, I won't have his progress stalled or undone."

"You are thinking as a grandfather, Hiruzen, not a Hokage. His skills could be put to better use and Team 7 could find someone else to better balance them," Koharu argued. Sasuke, Naruto, and even Kakashi were all VIPs as far as the village was concerned and it irked Koharu they were all on one team. If something went wrong during a mission, the lost potential would be tremendous. Quickly and quietly promoting Naruto and then sending him elsewhere alleviated that concern. There was also another reason she wanted Naruto away from Team 7 but she'd keep that a secret for now.

"I am both of those things and many more. They are not hats I simply put on, Koharu. But what you don't seem to understand is I am thinking about the village and its best interests. ANBU is limiting by its nature. I take pride in all my agents but they are not encouraged to interact with the world. Naruto's many developments are, at least partially, inspired him being able to do just that. Think of how many advancements we'd miss out on because he was in ANBU HQ or running black op missions."

"Maybe, there is a compromise to be made," Homura offered as he was always the peacemaker of the foursome. "It is the consensus that regardless of if you will or not, Naruto-kun is deserving of rank other than genin. The Chunin Exams are fast approaching so it is understandable you'd want him to participate in them. It is also the case that the team is unbalanced. Maybe, while we assign a different genin from the other teams to sub in with Team 7, we put Naruto-kun on a different team. One led by Jiraiya."

"And who would his teammates be? We can't just pull genin from the reserves," Koharu pointed out, they'd still be unbalanced.

"Why, the former apprentice to the Demon of the Mist and Danzo's student. They know Naruto-kun, both are closer to his overall skill level, in some areas eclipsing him. Neither will be put off by his rapid rate of growth nor his unique personality. Jiraiya could train them well, ensuring Naruto-kun's Chunin Exam performance will be the showcase you want it to be," Homura put forward.

"Danzo?" Hiruzen asked, wanting the former Root Commander's thoughts.

"If you aren't going to promote him or give him a new permanent team then this is the next best option. Kakashi will make sure they can still function as a team for the exams."

"Fine, I'll inform Jiraiya later today. Now, is there anything else?" the third Fire Shadow asked.

"I request desserts be returned to the ANBU dining hall," the Commander said.

"Denied," Hiruzen answered and the commander slumped in defeat.

* * *

After training with Hatake-sensei and Jiraiya Naruto headed straight for the hospital. He had a shift in Konoha's main clinic and could clean himself up in the staff locker room. Naruto slipped in unnoticed, shower and changed. He normally preferred to wear orange, but Ino-chan was insistent he could not wear orange every day and Hinata-chan said the color may his patients on edge as orange signaled a warning of imminent danger. He compromised and was wearing navy blue pants and a hunter green, v-neck long-sleeve t-shirt. Naruto finished the outfit with a white lab coat.

The first time Naruto wore that outfit in the hospital, the first time he attended to his studies and to patients without a henge, he caused a panic with the senior staff. No matter what biases they held, they simply couldn't unsee it, the miniature version of a legendary ninja that wore similar colors, had the same hair and eyes. Several long-serving medical ninja ran to Tsunade for confirmation. They did not expect to be in a closed-door session with Tsunade, the Sandaime, and a platoon of ANBU. The Hokage confirmed nothing but said if what they suspected were true it would be an S-rank secret and unknowingly sharing S-rank secrets could still get them executed. None of the staff dared inquire further.

Naruto didn't know about the session, didn't know the effect his clothing choices had. He did see people looking at him with weird expressions and when they caught him looking at them, instead of turning away they smiled. They were also more talkative than he was used to but he liked listening to people talk so he didn't mind.

Naruto checked in, letting the staff know he was ready to receive patients and walked into his exam room. Clinic duties were, initially, very difficult for the Uzumaki. People often didn't describe their ailments well, didn't give him a full accounting for them, or often waited until he was about to dismiss them before telling him the real issue. Tsunade-sensei groaned about "doorknob questions" when he mentioned that last thing. She and Shizune instructed him on how to better put his patients at ease as well as how to connect the dots, as often people seeking treatment didn't know what was or wasn't relevant.

There had been minor progress but he still had a long way to go. What was working in the young medic's favor was he simply didn't judge people for what others would find embarrassing. Because he didn't have to try to not feel shame, his patients didn't sense any condemnation coming from him. Naruto checked over his exam room, making sure everything was in place and then simply waited. Soon she heard a knock at the door and watched as two familiar women entered.

Blue eyes looked impassively at pale brown and ruby red. The eyes of both women widened though for different reasons. Like the medical staff days previous, Anko had just put something together. Kurenai was simply embarrassed that Uzumaki-kun would be the one treating her. She really should have stayed in bed.

Forty-five minutes before their arrival at the hospital, Kurenai awoke with a searing headache and pronounced feeling of nausea. The room was spinning and she was sure if she'd try to move to fast she'd fall off the planet. It was clear, she'd overindulged again. Taking some deep breathes and fighting through her discomfort, Kurenai realized she was not in her bed, which mean she was not in her home. The room didn't have any scents of tobacco or sandalwood so she knew she couldn't be with Asuma. That left one person and Kurenai hoped her friend wouldn't do what Kurenai knew she was going to do.

"THIS IS YOUR GLORIOUS WAKE-UP CALL FROM THE SEXY AND SINGLE ANKO MITARASHI, SWEET CHEEKS!" Anko shouted and then cackled when Kurenai winced in pain. 'Good,' the Snake Mistress thought, her friend needed to learn not to drink so heavily.

"Kill me now," Kurenai pleaded, earning a softer laugh from Anko.

"Now, why would I do that?"

"Mercy?"

"Pfft, I ain't had that since my balls dropped."

"Anko, you don't have those. You're a lady, remember?" Kurenai said, patronizingly.

"Anko-chan might be a damn fine woman but she ain't never been no lady, dig it?" Anko said, fist pumping in the air. Kurenai simply covered her head with the blanket, hoping Anko would go away and let her die in peaceful misery. The Genjutsu Mistress knew she wouldn't be so fortunate when she felt the mattress sink slightly under the weight of Anko joining her.

"Anko, please leave me be," Kurenai pleaded.

"No can do, Toots. I have one more day off and I wanna spend it with my sister from another mister. Which means we have to get you dried out in a hurry."

"Fine, just let me get showered and borrow some clothes," Kurenai said and Anko nodded vigorously then stepped out of her bedroom. It was slow going but Kurenai did manage to shower and change. Even made it to the hospital's clinic without losing her non-existent lunch. Being Jounin, they get seen a little faster and both welcomed the preferential treatment, Kurenai most of all. That is until she walked in the exam room and saw Uzumaki-kun looking at her.

"How can I help you today?" Naruto asked, causing each of the veteran kunoichi to realize they hadn't fully entered the room yet. Kurenai walked to the exam table, Anko grabbing a seat beside her.

"Kurenai-chan got over served last night and needs help managing her hangover," Anko said. Kurenai shot her a dark look but the Special Jounin merely shrugged.

"There are places that make alcohol consumption compulsory? I should alert Oj-san, this could be a public health risk," Naruto said, retrieving a drink from a cold storage unit.

"No, Uzumaki-kun, it was not compulsory. No one forced me, Anko was simply being colorful in her description." Naruto didn't turn around but Kurenai heard a hum and took it as him understanding her. Once the blond had all his items he placed the drink down along with two tablets in a paper cup.

"The drink will cure the dehydration, the tablets will ease your headache. Are you still feeling slightly intoxicated, Yuuhi-sensei?"

"No, just nauseous," she replied. Naruto nodded and then performed three hand signs, causing his left hand to glow green. He placed it over Kurenai's midsection and the Team 8 sensei immediately felt her symptom alleviate. Kurenai smiled while saying, "Thank you, Uzumaki-kun."

"You are welcome, Yuuhi-sensei. Is there anything else I can help you with today?" Naruto asked and Kurenai shook her head no. Anko, however, had a question.

"Hey, Chibi, if you can cure her nausea why not her headache as well?"

"One of the responsibilities of a medical ninja is tightly regulating how much chakra they suspend. I have no idea how many patients I will see before my shift is over so some ailments I treat pharmacologically. As people rarely vomit due to headaches but do so quite often due to nausea, I felt it logical to see to the one that may require clean up."

"That makes a lot of sense. One last question, do you know where either your sensei or Jiraiya are?"

"The Floating Leaf Hot Springs," Naruto responded and Anko grabbed Kurenai as she dashed out of the exam room, Kurenai barely having time to finish her nutrient replenishing drink. Anko drug Kurenai out of the hospital and then a hastily performed shunshin, residing just outside the hot springs. As Anko continued to lead Kurenai by the wrist, the red-eyed Jounin finally had enough, breaking Anko's grip.

"What is wrong with you, Anko?"

"I think I know something about Chibi but there are only a few people that can confirm it, Kakashi and Jiraiya would be on that list. Now, c'mon." Kurenai was tempted to refuse but let her curiosity override the impulse. Neither Jiraiya nor Kakashi were hard to find, the two hiding in some bushes, giggling like school girls.

"Yo, Kakashi!" Anko called out, getting the man's attention. He, along with Jiraiya departed from the bush, both tensing as they expected a beating. Anko recognized the body language and scoffed. "I'm not here to beat your perverted asses, I have a question about your student."

"Oh, which one? I have three," Kakashi said with an eye smile.

"The only one I would give two shits about, Hatake. Now, stop being funny and one of you throw up a privacy barrier." The Toad Sage looked at the Dog Summoner in brief confusion but Jiraiya complied.

"It should be safe to speak now, Anko-chan. What is it about Naruto?"

"I'll cut to the chase, is he the Yondaime's s-" Anko didn't even get to finish as she had a kunai poking at her right lung, Kakashi's eye smile seeming more predatory now. Both kunoichi tensed, Kurenai still out of the loop.

"Mah, mah, Anko-chan," Kakashi said as Jiraiya was palming his face.

"Hime needs to make that kid change his damn hospital uniform," Jiraiya grumbled. Kurenai, still slightly addled, was trying her best to figure out what was happening. It took her a few moments of deep concentration, the fog of the hangover a real impediment before she came to the conclusion Anko had and gasped.

"No, that's-" Kurenai didn't finish her thought or couldn't, she had too many running through her mind. She wondered how different he would be if people had known or if he would have even survived long enough for it to matter.

"Is that why he was able to remove Orochimaru's seal from me?" Anko asked as Kakashi finally removed the kunai from her.

"I can't answer that. I have no idea how much of his sealing talent is epigenetic or a consequence of his condition or whatever. You two have stumbled upon what is quickly becoming the second worst kept secret of the village," Jiraiya said, annoyance clear in his tone.

"We knew it would happen one day, we can't stop him growing nor outlaw him from wearing Konoha's colors," Kakashi said. He'd been ok with sending the hospital staff on a long vacation but the Sandaime vehemently refused. Kakashi understood but two people can only keep a secret if one of them is dead, it would soon spread that Naruto was obviously the son of Minato-sensei.

"I know, damn it. I was counting on the villagers and ninja continuing that impressive streak of sincere stupidity to protect him."

"Hey!" Anko shouted in protest but clammed up at Jiraiya's hard look.

"You've seen the kid several times. He literally removed a nearly impossible to remove seal from you and you only noticed the resemblance because the gaki was almost literally in a Yondaime Hokage costume," Jiraiya argued and neither kunoichi could disagree. Things were silent for almost a minute before Kurenai chimed in.

"Well, Hinata-chan certainly has good taste," Kurenai said with a giggle, breaking the tension within the foursome.

* * *

"Hinata-chan?" Ino asked, sleepily from Naruto's bed.

"Yes, Ino-chan?" Hinata replied from the same location.

"Can we just stay here? For forever?" Ino asked and the Yamanaka wasn't sure if she was joking or not. She hadn't spent a great deal of time in Naruto's apartment, and certainly never overnight. She had no idea how insanely comfortable and accommodating the place was. Self-heating towels, heated floors. High thread count sheets that smelled of citrus and warming spices. Oh, and best yet? A clone that'll cook for you and pick up after you and could probably totally kick ass if need be.

"I'm not sure your father, clan, nor Naruto-kun could allow that, Ino-chan."

"Oh… then I may have to steal him from you. Sorry in advance," Ino replied.

"But what about your dear Sasuke-kun? Would you so callously abandon him for a little comfort?"

"That would be shallow, wouldn't it?"

"Very," the Hyuuga heiress replied.

"Well, what about all that work I've put in? What other boys around our age know how to shop with a woman? Or will let her pick out clothes for him without complaint? Or can dance? I've put in a lot of work here."

"And I thank you," Hinata said but Ino was too deep into her musings to pay it any mind.

"He's going to be a doctor, who doesn't want to date a doctor?"

"You're getting lost in the thread count, Ino-chan. Come back to me, back to reality." Both girls laughed at Hinata's call.

"Fine, fine. I'm back. Besides, you're right, my heart is with Sasuke-kun. It just sucks. I've liked him for so long, I've been friends with Shikamaru and Choji for years and I think Naruto-kun has paid more attention to me the few months we've been friends than any of the others."

"Give it time, Ino-chan. I'm sure Sasuke-kun will notice you eventually," Hinata said.

"Yea, I won't lose to Forehead," Ino exclaimed.

"Indeed. Then, I'll steal you away from him."

"Yea!.. Wait, what?"

"It is fate, Ino-chan. You cannot fight fate," Hinata said as she began to tickle Ino relentlessly. The Yamanaka heiress tried to fight her friend off but her counters were ineffectual. It was not Ino's pleading that stopped Hinata's assault but the loud thud they heard from outside the bedroom. Both were up and out of the bedroom in speeds befitting their rank. When they entered the main room they saw Tenten with her head on the table and a clone Naruto rubbing her back.

"What's wrong, Tenten-chan?" Hinata asked in concern.

"Oh, just a technique I spent months learning and perfecting, Naruto improves it in like five minutes."

"She said she'd make more Puppy Chow if I did," the clone added while the other clones, all reading books on electrical engineering but nodded in agreement.

"Oh, what did you do, Naruto-kun?" Ino asked and Naruto looked at Tenten as if requesting permission. The Team 9 kunoichi nodded and Naruto briefly described the original technique before going into his improvements.

"So with just a few additional components, the projectiles can hone in on a specific chakra signature for a short duration and distance."

"I didn't know you could do something like that," Ino said.

"Well, chakra signature recording isn't new and it was only a few steps from making an object track said signature. Pretty straightforward," the clone said and Tenten had to fight the urge to grab at her hair while shouting if it were so freaking simple she'd done it already. But she was going to follow Ino's advice and put it in a mental box labeled Naruto things. The trio of kunoichi continued to talk about things as the Naruto clones studied until they were interrupted by a knock at the door. One clone opened it to see someone he would not have expected.

"Hello, Mizuki-san," the clone said.

"I believe you mean Mizuki-sensei, Uzumaki," the Chunin said frostily.

"No, I neither like nor respect you enough for that. What can I do for you?" Mizuki sneered at the little demon's response, repressing the urge to strike him.

"It's about Konohamaru," Mizuki started and then subconsciously took a step back when the demon approached him.

"Has he been harmed?" the demon said, trying to fake a showing of concern.

"I will explain on the way, come with me now."

"I am a clone, I will alert the original and he will meet you at the academy where a full accounting of events will need to be provided without delay." The sentence ended with the closing of the door and Mizuki bit back several curses as he returned to the academy. What Mizuki hadn't noticed were the steelie gazes of the kunoichi within Naruto's apartment nor the cruel smile of the Yuki observing from above.

Back at the hospital, the original received the memories of the dispelled clone. He created one to stay at the hospital while informing the check-in station of his need to leave. The attendant gave him permission and Naruto shunshin'd to the academy, entering with due haste. He arrived at Iruka-sensei's classroom and saw Konohamaru and three other boys, each having visibly been in a fight. Naruto marched over to Konohamaru, not even acknowledging Iruka-sensei, tending to his little brother's busted lip.

"Please explain," Naruto said to no one in particular.

"Konohamaru-kun got into a fight," Iruka said and felt dumb when Naruto simply looked at him as to remind the Academy Instructor that was quite obvious.

"I don't know why but Konohamaru threw the first punch. He's refused to say why however fighting like this is unacceptable."

"What happened Kono-chan?" Naruto asked and Konohamaru looked down, averting Naruto's gaze. "Kono-chan, I am not upset but I require the details."

"They were… they called you some names, Nii-chan so I kicked their butts, kore!"

"Konohamaru, what could they have said to make you want to fight?" asked Iruka-sensei.

"They called Nii-chan a retard, said their parents called him that all the time. Maybe I can't fight their parents but I'll bust those losers up," Konohamaru said. The three boys flinched when Iruka-sensei sent them a hard glare.

"We don't use language like that in this academy and we don't disrespect shinobi of this village that are trusted to protect it with their lives, you boys understand me?" The Chunin asked and received a trio of affirmative responses. "Konohamaru, I understand why you would be upset but fighting wasn't the way to go."

"I agree," Naruto stated and Iruka-sensei smiled at Naruto being responsible. "They had superior numbers and witnesses. If you need to punish them for their words there were superior methods. A disinformation campaign that made them pariahs would be emotionally devastating and if conducted correctly would be hard to trace back to you. A minor poison administered over several weeks that made them lose control over their bowels was a viable option," Naruto said, stroking his chin. Iruka-sensei was mortified especially since he couldn't correct his former student. Those were all tried and true ninja tactics and he couldn't speak out against them.

"I don't know poisons yet, Nii-chan."

"Ah, we'll work on that. Instead, a series of escalating pranks would have sufficed. Or, at the very least, wait to attack when you had the advantage."

"I won so I must have had the advantage."

"Yes, but I bet you worked harder and took more damage than you had to. What about Moegi-chan and Udon?"

"I told them to stay out of it," Konohamaru said and smiled when he saw his brother nod in acknowledgment.

"Good instincts, you protected your team but next time bring them in, plan ahead instead of just reacting and leave no evidence. Iruka-sensei can't punish you because he expects you've done something and if he ever tries I'll put him in a scroll like I did Ebisu-san," Naruto said as he ran his fingers through Kono-chan's hair. Iruka-sensei wasn't thrilled by that threat but the Sarutobi smiled, knowing his big brother wasn't really like this with anyone else.

"Before our movie night, we're going to be training. I have my doubts you're prepared to fight multiple enemies at once."

"Hai!"

"If there is nothing else I need to return to the hospital," Naruto said to Iruka-sensei. The man replied in the negative and let his former, and oddly favorite, student go while smiling fondly. Naruto exited the academy building but instead of going back to the hospital, he made a detour to the Hokage Tower. His timing was fortunate as he gained entrance to see his Oji-san without delay.

"Hello, Naruto-kun. What can I do for you today?"

"Hello, Oji-san. I cannot stay long but I have something to inform you about and a question," Naruto said.

"Please continue," HIruzen encouraged.

"Kono-chan got into a fight at the academy. Apparently, some boys were calling me names and Kono-chan defend me. Do not worry, I lectured him about the more appropriate methods of responding to such a situation."

"Like telling Iruka?" Hiruzen asked/hoped.

"Like subterfuge and psychological warfare or guerilla tactics. I did not believe it acceptable to make Iruka-sensei his agent in a retaliatory effort, Oji-san."

"No, of course not. I was being silly," Hiruzen replied with a sliver of amusement. "What will you do in response?"

"I will begin training him to fight multiple parties at once before our movie night."

"That seems appropriate. Make sure you drill him on minding his surroundings, he still struggles with that," Hiruzen added. Naruto nodded so the Sandaime continued, "Ok, now what is your question?"

"Is it usual to not want to leave your bed if you have two women in it? Hinata-chan and Haku were in bed with me and I almost delayed my schedule because of it," the blond informed the Hokage.

Hiruzen had a tic mark and muttered something about lucky little brats before answering, "I wouldn't know, Naruto-kun." That response surprised Naruto as he was sure his Oji-san knew almost everything he'd come to experience in his life.

"Could you try it and let me know?" Naruto asked and Hiruzen's tic mark grew as he heard the muffled snickers of his ANBU guard.

"If I find two willing women you will be the first person I tell."

"Thank you, Oji-san. I have to return to the hospital but I will see you later."

"Of course, Naruto-kun. Have an excellent day," he bid his grandson. When the blond left Hiruzen had to endure the laughter of his guards but the Professor would have the last laugh as he said, "Just for that, you will all be my sparring partners for the weekend." No one but the old man was laughing after that.

* * *

 **Hey everyone! The next few chapters will be ramping up as I plan to start the Chunin Exams on either Chapter 15 or 16 but the ones before that will be some original missions. Lots of action. A little drama. And our favorite Gentleman Pervert making things slightly askew.**


	13. Chapter 13

Hiruzen loved his surrogate grandson as if he were truly his own, often that the little blond was not slipped the Hokage's mind. But there were days when he got a swift reminder that regardless of his condition, Naruto was the child of Minato and Kushina. Only their progeny could cause him such grief without trying; hell, without even being in the village. Jiraiya and Kakashi had both taken their new arrangements well, each man understanding this was the best for the members of Team 7. After a two week period of intensive training, the new Team Jiraiya had left the village and would be gone until a month before the Chunin exams.

Knowing he'd be gone, Naruto focused his clones on projects that could have an immediate turnaround. Hiruzen was delighted at the idea of using the trees surrounding the village as their power grid. The Shinobi Corps of Engineers absolutely loved the idea and begged Hiruzen to assign Naruto to them. He, of course, declined and watched as some of the smartest ninja in his village pouted and then buried him in forms to begin retrofitting the various buildings within Konoha. The undertaking dubbed Project L.E.A.F (Light Energy Absorption Field) was underway. The Seal Team and Barrier Squads would be applying them to the surrounding forests for the next few weeks but final activation would wait until Naruto came back to check the work.

The extra paperwork, while he hated it, Hiruzen could ultimately deal with. It was one of the few ways his shinobi could push back against him to express their displeasure without risking any true (painful, violent, permanent) consequence, though the Hokage would drop their budget by three percent in the next fiscal year in retaliation. If it'd stopped there, Hiruzen would count his blessings but it had not. Naruto had even managed to anger Konohamaru's mother, Kanna, though many would know her as ANBU Saru.

Kanna, too, had great affection for Naruto but had little time to spend with him or her own son as her ANBU duties required she be gone frequently. She encouraged the bond between Kono and Naruto, as she knew it helped her son deal with her long absences. Hiruzen was aware of this so he was initially confused when Kanna came to speak to him in his office.

"Why did Naruto teach my baby the first stage of the Silent Killing technique?" Kanna had asked and Hiruzen facepalmed. Kanna went at length about how Kono-chan was bragging that his niichan taught him a cool new game of tag and how he could disappear in a crowd now. Her concern wasn't so much what Naruto had started to teach Kono-chan. It was that him practicing it in the middle of the village was making people nervous that a pint-sized assassin kept showing up behind them. Hiruzen promised he'd speak to Kono-chan while also telling Ebisu to keep a better watch of his charge. He was paying the man good money to do so.

But those headaches paled in comparison to his volatile student. Tsunade had gotten back into surgery, overcoming a significant hurdle in her recovery and was genuinely excited to practice medicine again. As she'd returned to her element, she wanted to fully immerse her newest student but the temporary team switch complicated matters. His in-person hours at the hospital dwindled and he'd only gotten the bare-bones basics of field surgery, managing to learn the Mystic Palm and Chakra Scalpels. As his student glared at him, her foot tapping impatiently, and sending slight tremors through his office, Hiruzen grew tired of her petulance.

"If anything, Tsunade-chan, I should be mad at you," Hiruzen bit out.

"What the hell did I do? I steal your student and give him to a moronic pervert?" the last Senju question, hands on her hips.

"No, you just allowed an S-rank secret to be uncovered under your watch," the Sandaime answered.

"I was gone by the time Minato was an adult, do you think I kept up with his preferred attire? Was I a member of some Fanclub no one told me about? Did I hang his pictures up on my wall and swoon? Also, I didn't pick Naruto's clothes, his little blonde girlfriend did that."

"You could have suggested a change since then."

"Maybe Sensei but you have to weigh the potential harm done versus the potential harm avoided."

"What are you talking about?" Hiruzen asked in confusion.

"Well, sure, Naruto's secret is out or whatever. Maybe Iwa tries something. But what you have now is a hospital staff that is treating him like a colleague. They even banter around the watercooler, though he mostly just listens. Because the staff treats him well, the patients are more likely to follow suit. Which means I haven't had to brutally murder anyone or get the hospital walls all messy. See? Cost and benefits, Sensei. Cost. And. Benefits," Tsunade finished and to Hiruzen's amazement, his lone kunoichi student really thought her argument wasn't one of a psychopath.

"You can't leverage the harm you would, and could wholly decide not to, do against other risks. That's madness."

"Madness or not, it's the truth. Now, maybe you can tell me how I am supposed to achieve these breakthroughs you expect of me if my collaborator isn't here to aid me. That is why you called me back, remember."

"He'll be back for the exams."

"And be busy taking the exams and after he takes them then what? Jiraiya likes to go on long training trips. What am I supposed to do then?"

"Well, about that… You know, I'm not getting any younger and I have retired once already," Hiruzen started. Tsunade became mortified and fled the Hokage's office, reasoning if she didn't hear the proposal then it didn't count. Hiruzen wasn't offended by her prompt exit, having planned for it. "Sucker," he muttered through his chuckles. He knew neither of his students wanted the hat, though one would have to take it. It was time for some new blood to lead the village.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the village, Asuma was diligently training Team 10. Well, one member of team 10. His lone kunoichi had just recently received her knuckle knives but she was dedicated to learning to wield them. Asuma was not at all reluctant to admit he'd been wrong in initially denying Ino tutelage in his signature weapon. It seemed she'd matured overnight and whereas he thought it'd be a pain to have an overeager Genin constantly searching his words for deeper meaning, and offing someone's pet because of it, the Yamanaka had proven better than that. Not obsessive, just intentive.

"Remember, Ino, your build will never be like mine. In and out, constantly changing distance will be your style. Set up your slashes with kicks, change levels and have no set pattern," he instructed as she struck a training dummy.

"Hai, Sensei," she responded before getting back to work. Asuma walked toward his other two students, the sound of thuds a soundtrack to his travel.

"You two need to get up and get moving," Asuma said. "Ino is displaying more effort than both of you put together and that ends now. Choji, I want you to run ten laps around the training ground and then up and down one tree. Do that ten times and then come back." The chubby Akamichi grumbled but did as he was told. If Asuma could credit the heir with anything, the boy knew how to follow orders. He then turned to the Nara, the one he'd assumed would be the leader of his team. His faith in that designation was starting to waver a bit.

"As for you, Shikamaru, we're going to work on your stamina, chakra reserves, and strategic abilities."

"How?"

"Very simple, you are going to try to catch me with your **Shadow Possession Jutsu**. Once you do you must keep me restrained for three minutes. For however long you fall short of that goal that time gets added to your next attempt."

"Troublesome," the Nara complained.

"Make it three and a half minutes, Shikamaru," Asuma amended and shot his student a look daring him to complain some more. The boy, smartly, did not. He, instead, selected to follow Asuma into the clearing. Soon, Asuma called a start to their game of catch and release as the elite ninja gave the Nara a workout he wouldn't forget.

In a nearby training field, another Jounin Sensei overlooks her team as they train diligently. Kurenai had already run her team through the day's tracking exercises, drilled them on chakra control. Now was taijutsu sparring and then missions. The red-eyed beauty watched as her most brash student engaged her, once, most shy one. It was not going well for the Inuzuka.

"Two palms," Hinata exclaimed, Byakugan active and the two finger jabs landing swiftly. "Four palms," she said as the strikes came faster, speed enhanced by her natural grace. "Eight palms," and Kiba felt each of them. "SIXTEEN PALMS!," the Hyuuga Heiress yelled as she dispatched the ninken user, his body making a disconcerting thud as he hit the ground.

"Yea! I'm the Princess of Juuken and you better deal with it!" Hinata said in triumph. In reward, today's special guest greeted her and she picked him up and cuddled him without hesitation. "Did you see that Chappy-kun? Next time he won't let Akamaru-kun pick on you, will he?"

Kiba simply groaned while he remained on the ground. He didn't tell Akamaru to do anything to the damn rabbit but he is a dog. A special, chakra using, well-trained dog but still a dog. Kiba would be unwise to dull those instincts so Akamaru chased the damn critter around for a bit. It was all in good fun, Kiba thought. Clearly, his teammate reached a different conclusion.

The pain in his body was subsiding, enough for him to gather his wits once more. He took a breath before speaking. "I know you only call out the number of the strikes to be a dick, Hinata." A smile was Hinata's only response.

"I think that's enough taijutsu for today but what have we learned?"

"I need to increase my speed and evasion techniques," Shino said. He was not the strongest in close-quarter combat so being able to create distance was vital for him. Kurenai nodded, figuring her most analytical student would come to that conclusion.

"We'll work on your countering, Shino but you're improving so keep that in mind. What about you two?"

"I could be more aggressive," Hinata said.

"Yes. It's a fine line and as you face better opponents they won't offer obvious gaps. Sometimes you have to create your own offense. I know with your bloodline it may not seem that way but it's better to get in the habit. However, when you do go on the offensive you are quite efficient."

"Efficient she says!" Kiba said in a raised voice. "How about cruel and sadistic?"

"Now, now Kiba. Sure Hinata could have stopped her assault at eight palms, she could have also gone to thirty-two. You have to stop being overly aggressive. Overwhelming force is like any other technique, without control it will be easily evaded or turned on you. We'll work on helping you to set things up and get you better at fighting without Akamaru," Kurenai explained. "Now, let's go do some missions," Kiba grumbled but joined the rest of his team as they departed the training grounds for a thrilling day of chores.

Lastly, in another training field, Konoha's most youthful beast was joyously engaging his lone kunoichi. Something had changed with Tenten-chan, Gai noticed. It wasn't major or even concerning but she seemed to be pushing herself a little harder, studying her fuinjutsu a little more diligently and even practicing her taijutsu in earnest. She also seemed slightly frazzled, as if some part of her worldview had been torn asunder.

The Jounin considered all of this as he dodged the projectiles aimed at him. The taijutsu made it look easy but he marveled at the improvements of Tenten's signature jutsu. And while supportive and encouraging, Gai would admit to enjoying her reaction when not a single weapon managed to even graze him.

"Damn it all!" Tenten exclaimed, plopping down onto the grass.

"Yosh! Do not get discouraged Tenten-chan, your efficiency with that technique improves constantly!" Gai said, giving her a thumbs up. His bright smile earning a small one from her in response.

"I must admit, Tenten, your technique has indeed improved. How did you manage to make the projectiles follow the target?" Neji asked.

"I had some help with the fuinjutsu. The additional seals allow me to hone onto specific targets."

"That is most fascinating, indeed. Who provided this most youthful help, Tenten-chan?" Lee inquired with great enthusiasm.

"Naruto," the weapon mistress replied.

"My failure of a cousin's friend? You shouldn't associate with people like him, Tenten. He'll drag you down," Neji cautioned, which annoyed his fellow teammates.

"You don't know what you're talking about and since we won't agree let's just leave it there." Neji was slightly taken aback by Tenten's response. She had never spoken to him like that and while he respected her he wouldn't have his beliefs questioned nor suffer disrespect from anyone. His righteous tirade killed in its conception as his other teammate, the fated failure of Team 9, butted in.

"Naruto-kun is most youthful, Neji. I believe you two could be friends if you could only get past your dislike. He is a bit hip and cool but neither require an active disdain of him. He just needs to truly bear witness to the flames of youth, yosh!"

"Well said, Lee! And since you have so much energy, time for a team spar. All of you against me. Let's get to it!" Gai ordered, adopting his nice guy pose. Neji's annoyance with his teammates was quickly put on the backburner. Fighting with his sensei was never easy and required his full attention.

* * *

Kabuto sat his cargo down roughly, hoping to cause every bit of discomfort he could manage. If he had his choice, he'd have drug the boy down to his lab and begun experimentations immediately; if for no other reason, then the frustration and aggravation he'd caused the longtime spy. His master's laughter only agitated him further but he knew never to glare at Orochimaru-sama.

"Kukuku, no need to be so inconsiderate to our new friend, Kabuto-kun. He is my honored guest and will be treated as such," Orochimaru warned, taking great delight in Kabuto's appearance. His clothes signed, cut, and dirty. It was clear his Second-in-Command had experienced a tougher fight than he'd initially anticipated and it was further proof the Snake Sannin was correct in his estimation. "Now, take that gag off and undo those restraints. He wouldn't be foolish enough to attack me. Right, Naruto-kun?"

Kabuto did as he was told, expecting the blond to offer some manner of resistance but was surprised when that did not happen. The genin simply rubbed his wrists to alleviate some of the soreness of having been tied up but said nothing and made no attempt to flee. It was almost as if he didn't care who was sitting at the table across from him. The Oto medic adjusted his glasses, a tell of his current emotional state.

Naruto surveyed the room. There was one visible exit to his left and he was currently separated from the Sannin by a long dining room table. The room was well lit; lights hung above and candles decorated the stone walls.

"Kabuto-kun, please go retrieve dinner," Orochimaru requested.

"Hai," the silverette answered and complied.

"Now, we may be introduced properly. Hello, Naruto-kun. I am Orochimaru, thank you for gracing me with your presence." Naruto looked at the man, his Oji-san's traitorous student. He wasn't a guest as he was kidnapped but it was clear the man wanted to play at this being a social call. He needed to prolong things so the Uzumaki decided to indulge.

"Thank you for your invitation."

"You are quite welcome. Now, I am sure you are curious as to why I had Kabuto-kun and the Sound Four provide such a forceful invite, yes?" Naruto nodded. "That is a bit of a story. See, when Kabuto-kun informed me that the village was undergoing some serious overhauls in security and there was a new fuinjutsu enabled device all the senior ninja were receiving I was of course curious. Did Jiraiya have a late period burst of genius or was there a new fuinjutsu user on the scene." Orochimaru stopped as Kabuto returned.

"It was to my utter surprise that Kabuto-kun failed to procure one of those devices. He couldn't even break into the manufacturer's facility. With the dragnet in the village and everything else, he had to return home empty-handed. Chastened and humiliated in his defeat. It was quite shameful. Even more so that he had no idea who this potential Seal Master could be," Orochimaru mocked. The medic sat the bowl of tonkotsu ramen in front of Naruto, trying his best not to shatter the bowl. Orochimaru merely smiled at his subordinate's anger.

Naruto took up his porcelain spoon, letting a small amount of the ramen broth flow into it. Before taking the warm liquid into his mouth, the Uzumaki activated a minor medical ninjutsu. It allowed for the detection of poisons via the tongue. He detected none. With his free hand, he picked up his chopsticks and began eating in earnest.

"I do hope you enjoy, I recall ramen being a favorite dish of your parents," Orochimaru observed. The Uzumaki hummed. It was clear the Sannin was prodding him to see if he knew about his parents and if the information could be a way to manipulate him.

"The ramen is quite good," the genin offered. Orochimaru laughed, the boy was cold as ice.

"Now, as I was saying, I'm now presented with this mystery and had little to go on. So frustrating, not to know. But luckily a foolish toad brought me all I needed," Orochimaru said, incredibly pleased with himself. He took up a remote and a multipanel screen turned on, showing various snippets of Team Jiraiya's raid on the Snake Sannin's base. Most of the footage was of Naruto.

"To be able to apply seals via chakra alone is a master level ability and here you do it with several different arrays. My poor ninja, they didn't know what to do." They were not looking for the Sannin nor his minions when they entered the base. A nearby town had been experiencing a rash of abductions and Jiraiya was tasked with figuring it out. The infiltration had gone well but one of the abductees triggered an alarm as they were leaving, forcing the team to fight their way out.

"Next, we see you erecting a barrier to trap some more of my men, leaving them to the designs of that inked beast. And lastly, we have you using that special shuriken to behead one of my prized experiments." The half stone, berserker beast was not easily put down, beating Haku, Sai and he. It was fast and durable. It was only some quick thinking and Naruto's emitter disc that allowed them to win, the trio hitting the floor while the monster stood upright not expecting a thing.

"That level of talent, with your looks. It didn't take long for Kabuto to remember a blond-haired, blue-eyed boy named Uzumaki Naruto. Hidden away on Sasuke-kun's team. Sarutobi-sensei always was disgustingly clever like that. Put you on a team with the last Uchiha and no one would even take a second glance. I guess I'm fortunate that such things don't escape my notice."

Naruto accepted that this man clearly liked to hear himself talk. It was good, he didn't have to try to banter or match wits with him. The traitor would fill the space without any prompting. That would work out well.

"It is little known but I originally wanted Minato to be my apprentice," if Orochimaru was expecting a reaction he didn't get one, which seemed to amuse him. "I saw the same talent that Jiraiya but I saw something even more impressive and rare. Do you know what that is, Naruto-kun?"

"No," Naruto answered and the Sannin could not be faulted for thinking the Uzumaki was referring to him. But he wasn't. As the Sannin was speaking his team had come into range of his communicator seal.

* * *

Hours earlier Jiraiya arrived to a battlefield. His team were not at the inn he booked and the surrounding areas looked like a fierce battle had occurred. There were slashes in the trees, overturned earth, scorch marks and the like. He approached his team, his godson administering aid to Sai and Haku. Clearly, they had been injured and that tightened the Toad Sage's chest. He'd gone to meet a contact, he really couldn't bring the kids along but during that time they'd been set upon.

"Naruto, what happened?"

"Oto. One was Kabuto Yakushi, he used to work in the hospital. He was much better than a genin. The others referred to themselves as the Sound Four. They had cursed marks and overwhelmed us. Haku took an arrow to the abdomen but her flak jacket prevented it from piercing too deeply. It nearly broke a rib on impact. Sai had a concussion, I've treated it along with his dislocated shoulder."

"Is there anything else?"

"Yes, we're both clones. Their mission was to take the original."

"What?!" Jiraiya yelled before calming down. "I can just reverse summon him so not ideal but not a catastrophe."

"The boss doesn't think you should do that."

"And why not?"

"They didn't want him dead, which means they are taking him back to some kind of base. The locator seal is active and the communicator seal will be once you're in range. This is a chance for more intel and to possibly confirm what you suspect," the clone argued.

Jiraiya cursed himself for being so unthinking. Making their way through that other based he said the work was likely the product of Orochimaru, more to himself and in disgust but his team heard him. He was right, if they could get their in time then it would be confirmation that Oto had some tie to Orochimaru and resources could be dedicated to uprooting the mysterious village.

"How much longer until they are operational?"

"Twenty minutes at the most." Jiraiya grunted in approval and waited for what felt like the longest twenty minutes of his life. The clones dispelled, sending back the relevant information to the original and what was left of Team Jiraiya departed swiftly, the two younger shinobi pushing themselves to keep up with the legendary ninja. The jovial Jiraiya they had grown accustomed to was gone. It was clear, when he arrived there was going to be a reckoning.

As they raced toward Naruto's location, Haku was the first to realize the communicator seal had come online. She cursed herself for her weakness, in her failure to protect her friend. She'd hesitated when she had to opening to kill and it cost her. The bitter taste of regret lingered on her tongue and she promised herself she'd never allow her weak heart to endanger Naruto, or anyone else, again.

"Naruto-kun, are you hurt?"

" _No."_

"We're seven minutes out, just hold on," the last known Yuki voweled as she continued apace, prepared to do anything to rescue her friend.

* * *

'Seven minutes,' the Uzumaki thought. It wasn't long but it'd have to do. He had a mission to complete and he'd listened to the weird Snake Man talk long enough. Forming the ram sign, a seal started to glow and Kabuto's arm, something that was not missed by Orochimaru. Nor did he miss that the seal seemed to be traveling up his subordinate's arm toward his body. Removing the hidden kunai he kept in his sleeve, Orochimaru cut Kabuto's arm off and formed an **Earth Style: Mud Wall**. The construct protected them from the predicted explosion.

When the smoke cleared and the ringing in his ears subsided, Orochimaru realized his guest had departed. He turned to Kabuto, on the ground and writhing in pain. He could replace the boy's arm so he hadn't lost all value. Not that he'd be that upset if Kabuto had been killed. If he could be duped by a genin, which he almost had been, then he wasn't the caliber of ninja the Sannin needed anyway. He went to the door and was shocked when he attempted to open it. He laughed at being trapped in the room, curious to see what Naruto-kun was going to do.

Just after Naruto vacated the dining room he placed a timed barrier seal on the door. It wasn't extremely complex but it would do. He summoned his black flak jacket and zipped it up, having removed it before Kabuto finally captured him. He didn't have much time but he'd allow his Oji-san's words to guide him.

" _If you are ever in an enemy's territory remove all traces of mercy and doubt. Do not expect to be shown any so show none in kind."_

The raid of the first Oto base had been Naruto's first kills. He wasn't sure how he felt about it. It gave him no great thrill but didn't feel him with sadness either. He hadn't had a lot of time to figure it out and that wasn't about to change. He activated his projection seal, having managed to tag each of the Sound Four. If all went to plan, each would die tonight.

" _The enemy will often see their numbers as a strength but when caught off guard, when truly surprised numbers are a weakness. People can be irrational, the larger the group the greater the effect. Cause maximum damage, sow the greatest amount of chaos while you accomplish your real mission."_

He could hear several people approaching him from either side of the corridor, all racing toward the dining room's entrance. Naruto removed two emitter discs from his flak jacket and tossed them in opposite directions. Holding the tiger seal, the discs exploded. At first he heard screams and then silence. The Uzumaki created ten clones, they would go in the opposite direction to sow discord and secure his exit. As he ran down the hallway he saw how effective his explosion was but resolved not to dwell on it, he needed to focus.

The base was a labyrinth of long hallways and multiple underground levels. He couldn't be too rash but he had to be swift. The first target was approaching fast, and in their haste, Naruto could hear multiple hastily planted a trap and then merged with his surroundings.

"Hurry, you idiots! We need to get to Orochimaru-sama now!" Sakon yelled. He and the six other continued down the hallway, the strongest of the Sound Four bringing up the rear. None of the ninja realized they triggered a seal but were simply blinded and deafened by a flash bang. Naruto took advantage of his opening, descending from the stone ceiling, slapping a chakra restriction seal on Sakon and stabbing him in the brain.

He knew the man was actually two people but without chakra they would share one fate. One was down. Naruto looked to the others. He performed four hand signs and placed his right palm on the ground. A seal emerged and surrounded the downed ninja and Naruto departed. He still had five minutes left.

The ninja were still disorganized and it allowed Naruto to make it to the next level. Sticking to the ceiling, Naruto waited for his next target. It was the large one, the one that gave Sai his concussion. The Uzumaki dropped down, planning a quick slash like the one before and felt his blade sink into flesh.

"Ugh," the large man said, now a kunai stabbed into his hand. He retaliated with a fierce punch, sending Naruto through the door of an adjacent room. Jirobo grunted as he removed the blade, following the boy into the room. Only to be blown back by the explosion of an emitter disc. Pressured for time, it was underpowered but it was enough to temporarily blind the behemoth. On pure instinct, Jirobo reached out his hands and caught the impending dual stabs aimed for his neck. Blinded and enraged, he gripped Naruto's wrists and slammed the smaller boy into the wall. Spider cracks formed due to the force. Unrelenting, the Sound Four strong man went for a headbutt, finding a pair of knees instead of his intended target; consequently breaking his nose.

As Jirobo reared back, Naruto took advantage by kicking the Oto elite in the throat. Startled, he released his grip and was rewarded with a kunai in each of his lungs. The titan-esque male dropped to the ground, Naruto tossed one more kunai to his head to make sure his target wouldn't arise again. He'd made that mistake with Kabuto and he wouldn't make it again. Reactivating his projection seal, Naruto saw his last two targets were far from each other, one on the lowest level and the other near the stairwell he'd recently navigated. He had just under three minutes, no time to waste.

Running through the halls, he was soon presented with a squad of ninja. It appeared they were getting their wits about him, his distractions wearing off. The tunic wearing ninja seemed unsurprised to find him and ready to fight.

" _Any half trained shinobi force will eventually regroup and mount a counterattack. It will be harder to navigate their terrain but nothing is hopeless. Certain people draw others to them, giving their comrades strength and confidence. Crush those individuals and you crush morale. Then neutralize all before you."_

Naruto took a good look at the squad before him. All adults, mostly about average size except for one. He was closer to Hatake-sensei's height and the other three were surrounding him. He also saw the other three subtly looking at man as if waiting to follow his lead. His back was sore and his ribs ached, he was also getting impatient. He couldn't waste time with these individuals but he knew if he got careless he'd fail and possibly die.

Naruto retrieved two senbon from a special pouch on his jacket and took a defensive stance. The larger man laughed, as if in disbelief.

"Are you the one causing this ruckus? Heard you killed Sakon. Good, I always hated that bastard. Why don't ya come along back to Orochimaru-sama before the boys and I hurt ya?"

"No."

"A tough guy, yea? Fine. I'll have to show ya what being tough really is and then Orochimaru-sama will reward me." The man dashed toward Naruto after that. His speed was moderate and his stance was all wrong for fighting a much smaller opponent. Once he reached Naruto he found the two senbon in a knee each. Stunned from the pain, he didn't block the dropkick delivered by the kidnapped genin. The other three showed the depths of their disbelief, that this child had managed. It was a mistake. Their other mistake was going toward their down "leader" instead of attacking Naruto but they wouldn't get the chance to amend it. One flare of chakra later and the two senbon exploded, taking out the entire squad.

Ignoring the gore and smell of burnt flesh Naruto charged through the door. Pain soon followed. Immense pain and the feeling of being forcefully lifted from his feet and, again, tossed through a door. From his back the Uzumaki looked down to see a golden arrow penetrating his protective wear. He could feel the cracks in his ribs as breathing became more difficult. He could also feel the injury slowly healing but he had no time to wait for completion. Naruto ran through the doorway again, this time leaping over the railing, down to the next floor; narrowly avoiding being impaled by another arrow. As he grabbed onto the metal frame he grunted in discomfort.

"This is as far as you go, Blondie!" Kidomaru said, hanging from a web, aiming his bow for Naruto. Not having a moment to breathe, Kidomaru continued his game of cat and mouse, rapidly shooting arrows at Naruto's position and the Uzumaki barely dodging them. This man was a target but he had the high ground and other advantages. No matter how he moved, the spider boy was simply prepared to attack and leave no time for a counter. Naruto accepted he didn't have the time to see to him personally, the only benefit of being under constant assault is that he was nearing the bottom level.

Letting go of his current position, Naruto retrieved three pellets and threw them upward. Soon, the stairwell was engulfed in smoke and Kidomaru pulled himself up so as to not be ambushed. The six armed ninja's instinct was correct as a series of **Wind Style: Air Bullets** rocketed upward. He evaded them but frowned as the smoke was still rising and his vision was blocked.

The Sound Four archer heard more than saw items cutting threw the smoke. He had just enough time to escape the immediate blast radius but still suffered some damage. When the smoke finally cleared, Kidomaru saw roughly a dozen copies of the little bastard he'd abducted earlier. He was already tired from the previous fight but realized this kid was intent on trying to kill him. He released the first level of his cursed mark and got ready for round two.

The original landed silently and made his way toward his final target. He was nearing the end of his time limit, having to forgo stealth for speed. Naruto darted past the prison cells, the detainees too beaten and terrorized to give away his position. Most didn't even bother to look up. He stalked the last of Orochimaru's bodyguard and would not have needed his seal to find her. The kunoichi was busy berating some of prisoners, using a host of foul language and insults. Naruto removed took a calming breathe, recalling another piece of advice from his Oji-san.

" _Never be afraid to go at someone's strength. Shinobi can be prideful about our skills. If you go at a specialist with a weak iteration of their skill, they may be too busy boasting to realize the opening they left you. Take full advantage of it."_

Naruto recalled the girl used auditory genjutsu but wasn't much for direct combat. He didn't know many proper genjutsu but he did have one that would fit the situation. A quick series of hand seals and Naruto cast the **Demonic Art: Hell Viewing Jutsu**. Tayuya knew immediately she was under a genjutsu and tore through it with little effort. As she turned to berate the idiot that would dare attempt such a useless technique on her, a shin met the soft cartilage of her nose, breaking it easily. As Naruto approached the downed kunoichi he heard a vehement shake of cell doors. Sensing it was a warning, Naruto ducked to all fours, the kick aimed for his head sailing over him. But he didn't have enough time to avoid the follow up kick to his injured ribs. The blow, strong and fast, sent the Uzumaki back several feet.

"So, this is the trash that interests Orochimaru-sama?" Naruto heard a voice ask. He looked up and saw it was an older, white haired teen with loose fitting clothes. The kick hurt, undoing any progress his regenerative abilities had accomplished.

"Yea," Tayuya started, pinching her nose, "that's the fucker."

"Good, you leave and I'll handle it from here," Kimmimaro ordered. The normally vulgar girl did as she was told and departed further away. The Uzumaki tossed a kunai toward the girl but Kimmimaro caught it and tossed it to the side. Naruto felt frustration rise within him. He barely had a minute and a half left and he had to get through this person to finish his mission.

Kimmimaro attacked without warning. With his injuries, Naruto was forced to be more defensive and evasive in this fight, utilizing the moves Shizune taught him. He was dodging most of the older boy's blows but still getting clipped occasionally. The pair looked caught in a dance of death, the flourishes of agility askewing the deadly intent.

Naruto could admit the person he was fighting was better than him but he wasn't deterred. He remained patient, learning his enemy's pattern and timing. It wasn't long before he found his opening. Kimmimaro attempted a roundhouse and Naruto slipped under it, slyly placing a paper bomb on Kimmimaro's leg. Naruto shunshin'd away and activated the note. He heard a grunt of pain but saw none of the blood he'd assumed would accompany his move. When the smoke cleared he saw the Oto ninja looking mostly unharmed, save for his burned clothing. His leg, encased in a thick armor of what appeared to be bone and holding a sword of the same material.

"It seems it was wrong of me to call you trash. I am Kaguya Kimmimaro and will present your broken body to my lord." Naruto said nothing in response but unsealed his staff. Giving it a twirl, he charged toward the now named Kaguya.

Back in the stairwell, Kidomaru was breathing heavily. The clones pushed him to the point of needing the second level of his cursed mark. The surroundings were wrecked, signs of multiple explosions and blunt force damage could be seen about. He was just glad he finally got all of them. He needed to get his burns looked at and get some rest, putting an end to this. Lulled into a false sense of security, he reacted too slowly when a final clone descended from above. Trying to make up for being caught unaware he created a short arrow, palming it, the archer thrust it behind him.

He got the clone but not before it had completed its mission. Kidomaru instantly felt the backlash of the seal that had been placed on him. A seal that would bind his cursed mark and force it to recede. The pain and the destabilization of his chakra network caused the arachnid themed boy to lose his grip. Falling, he could do nothing to save himself as unconsciousness was setting upon him. Not able to channel chakra into his body, Kidomaru hit the ground from a several stories fall, breaking his back but not even the force of his impact nor the agony it elicited could wake the boy.

Kimmimaro looked at the boy he'd been exchanging blows with. He'd been tempted to activate his cursed mark but knew it'd hasten his decline. He felt he couldn't give this boy a single opening or the blond would put full effort into ending him. He could only die when Orochimaru-sama gave him permission. Kimmimaro wondered how the boy would fight unhampered, clearly holding back as to not harm the prisoners and due to injuries sustained in previous exchanges. But that could wait.

The boy had an unknown opening and the Kaguya planned to take advantage of it to end this fight. He really could not prolong it without deleterious effects. He charged, performing several fast paced thrusts at the Konoha genin. Naruto deflected the attacks one after another, as Kimmimaro predicted he would but after his first volley the boy lowered his staff. Channeling chakra into his legs, the leader of Orochimaru's elite guard, rushed him, stabbing Naruto in the left shoulder. It was as he designed it.

However, Kimmimaro could take no pleasure in his assumed victory. During his dash, Naruto was engaging a plan of his own. Having created a false opening for the Kaguya, Naruto resealed his staff and took the blow to his shoulder. He only needed one hand anyway.

Grinding. Flesh grinding. His very muscles being pulverized and begging to give way to a superior force. There are very few people who have experienced the **Rasengan** and lived. Kimmimaro would be added to that list, ironically having Jiraiya to thank for saving his life as just as Naruto was about to pierce his torso with the peak of shape manipulation, the Toad Sage reversed summoned him.

With little ceremony, the Uzumaki ripped out the bone sword from his shoulder. He found himself inside a hug, feeling the familiar softness of Haku's bust. Normally, he greatly appreciated Haku's hugs but now he felt as if he didn't deserve it. He'd failed. He was to neutralize those that had harmed his friends and he'd failed. Before he could give voice to any of his thoughts he heard a voice he thought he'd be free of for some time. He knew his barrier wouldn't last long but hoped the weird, snake man would attend to his forces. Jiraiya stood in front of his team, ready to strike should Orochimaru make an untoward move.

"Kukuku, why Naruto-kun you sure caused a mess."

"You've gone too far this time, Orochimaru," Jiraiya yelled but the Snake Sannin's eyes didn't leave Naruto.

"We can fight now Jiraiya but I have the superior numbers and no problem killing the kiddies. I'd love to get that Yuki on my table. We'd have a lot of fun… I'd have a lot of fun. You'd scream yourself hoarse and beg me to stop."

Jiraiya frowned. It really wouldn't be safe for him to go all out with his team here and going all out was the only way he'd kill his former teammate. They'd have to retreat for now, even though everything inside of him wanted to kill that man and all who dared to follow him.

"Let's go," Jiraiya ordered.

"Oh, before you do, I never got to give you my answer, Naruto-kun. The reason I wanted Minato-kun as a student? He was a natural born killer. Just like me," Orochimaru said and broke out into a face splitting smile. "And just like you."


	14. Chapter 14

Orochimaru gazed upon his downed elites. Two of his sound four were confirmed dead. Kidomaru managed to hang on but the long-range fighter sustained a broken back and legs. Worse yet, in his few conscious moments when prompted he could not activate his cursed mark. The spider-esque shinobi confessed he couldn't even feel it to draw upon. Kimmimaro was in critical but stable condition. Orochimaru didn't know whether to count the Kaguya as lucky or not. Sure he lived but the damage done by what, as he described it, could only be the **Rasengan** shortened his already dwindling life and he'd be in great pain for the remainder.

Kabuto, by comparison, was better off. The arm he lost could be replaced and would in short order. That the medical ninja was clearly suppressing rage at having been maimed, and more importantly, nearly killed by a child amused the Snake Sannin. He was aware that Kabuto would try to kill the Uzumaki at his earliest opportunity. If he managed it, the Akatsuki would bring down the full force of their wrath. Orochimaru was a genius but he knew he couldn't defeat the entirety of the Akatsuki.

Still, he held no concerns for Kabuto's attempt. If his assumptions about Naruto were correct, the Uzumaki had seen enough of Kabuto's fighting style and techniques to get an accurate measure of him. Kabuto didn't currently have anything in his arsenal that would alter that conclusion. In short, Kabuto had likely been figured out by the boy. He may be faster and more experienced but it wouldn't matter. If Kabuto tried to strike at Naruto, he'd lose his life in the process and if his second wasn't perceptive enough to realize that then he'd come to the end of his usefulness anyway.

All and all, the murdering and crippling of his elites, the loss of dozens more and having to abandon a base were small sacrifices. If Naruto had even half of his father's potential, and his facility with seals would put the estimation well above that, he'd be a once in a generation talent. What did displease him was what the surveillance footage showed. The chibi assassin hadn't shown one sign he was enjoying himself. It was all business. While admirable to a degree, it simply wouldn't do for his student. He would teach the Uzumaki how to have fun while he worked, to extract every ounce of pleasure from his deeds. Life was too short to not love what you did. But Naruto would learn.

"You seem happy, Orochimaru-sama," Guren said, having just entered the medical wing.

"More excited than anything, Guren-chan. I believe I have stumbled upon something interesting."

"The boy?"

"Yes, indeed. Naruto-kun seems to have the talent and inclinations of his father along with something else truly magnificent."

"What is that? A bloodline? Will he be your next host?" She asked, managing to repress much of the bitterness in her voice but Orochimaru heard it all the same.

"No, nothing like that and he couldn't be my new host even if I wanted him to. First, he knows how to completely seal up the cursed mark so I'd be wasting my time even trying. Secondly, I suspect he is the Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi." Guren's eyes went wide for the briefest of moments before she regained her composure.

"Is that how he was able to defeat them?" She asked.

"Kukuku, no. I don't know if he can use the Kyuubi's chakra but it was clear he didn't need to. There is a lot of potential in him. The very prospect makes me giddy."

"How shall I be of use?"

"I want you to backchannel with our remaining assets in Konoha. Get all the information you can on Naruto-kun. Jiraiya knows of my connection with Oto so some things will need to change but the invasion will still commence."

"Hai," Guren said as she bowed and departed. The pieces on the board hadn't changed but the game had. The Snake Sannin just had to get them all lined up before the game was afoot. Finally, things were getting interesting.

* * *

A purple haired, long-term ANBU kneeled in front of her Hokage. The wizened leader was making quick work of her report. When Jiraiya submitted the details of Naruto's kidnapping Hiruzen wasted no time ordering a full platoon of ANBU to the location. He knew his wayward student would have likely departed but if there was even the slim possibility he would be there he wanted his best on the scene. By the time the elite operatives arrived, the base had been cleared.

The forensic specialists, of which Cat was one, swept through the place anyway paying special focus to any of Naruto's left over fuinjutsu. The boy had been detailed about his various seals and traps, which was fortunate as he saved the ANBU from tripping any. The damage inflicted should not have been possible by a rookie Genin and it reflected in her report's conclusion.

The Sandaime read speedily, pride and worry warring within him. Cat's description of Naruto's impromptu mission adding color to Naruto-kun's dry synopsis.

 _As described by Genin Uzumaki, ANBU squad found several examples of his motion activated explosions. Trapping shows, while Genin Uzumaki may not fully understand the subjective elements of emotions he understands as sensory inputs that elicit predictable reactions. Seals placed on incapacitated Oto nin were linked. If someone went to aid a downed comrade, the seal would trigger multiple simultaneous explosions._

 _..._

 _Genin Uzumaki also showed great practicality in his seal design and placement. Some traps created to take advantage of basic shinobi formations. Pressure seals triggered by a lead ninja would take out members behind, without the lead knowing leaving the lone shinobi confident in numbers that were no longer present._

… _._

 _It is my conclusion that Genin Uzumaki by attempting to carry out a five target assassination mission behind enemy lines, with two confirmed kills and two possible to likely as well as providing information on Nukenin Orochimaru should be promoted to Chunin and drafted into the ANBU Black Ops._

"No," the Sandaime said.

"There is safety in anonymity, you utilized this logic for most of his life, Hokage-sama," Cat responded, neutrally but Hiruzen felt the acidity of her words.

"An anonymous orphan and an ANBU are hardly the same. Rise, Cat," her leader ordered and she obeyed. "ANBU would not aid in his development."

"ANBU would make him strong just like it did for Kakashi. Like me. Even Itachi."

"We don't need another Itachi," the Hokage observed.

"Naruto-kun wouldn't be like Itachi, their psychology is fundamentally different and Naruto-kun would never turn on Konoha unless you ordered him too," Cat countered. Hiruzen felt pained at how close to the truth Cat unknowingly was about Itachi.

"Naruto-kun will never be an ANBU as long as I draw breath."

"Then send him to Cryptanalysis or the Engineering divisions. Create a real fuinjutsu division, place the Barrier Corps under it and promote him to Special Jounin," Cat argued. She was growing frustrated. The Sandaime was one of, if not the smartest man in the village. Clearly he could see Naruto was attracting attention that outstripped his development. It would only get worse and the blond wasn't prepared.

"I know you worry about him and you honor Kushina but Naruto-kun must be allowed to grow. I believe he is something special and will do great things." Just like Minato left his mark on a student, Kushina had as well. Mostly informal, her pregnancy delaying things but Kushina had mentored the young ANBU kunoichi and Cat admired the woman. But like Kakashi, she simply wasn't a viable option for adoption as her work with the Black Ops organization was too vital.

"He has to be alive to achieve those goals," Cat stated.

"Yes, he must. But he must also be tested. Fate and foolish old men have not been kind to Naruto-kun. And as much as it pains me to say it, Orochimaru will simply be one of many challenges he will endure in the future. He has no choice but to be strong. Better than even his father and at a much earlier age. He will be at his best in the light, reaching only a fraction of his true potential as an ANBU."

"That's not a reasonable expectation, Hokage-sama. Minato-sama was considered more than a genius-"

"I know. Many saw him as the perfect shinobi but he wasn't. He was just a man. Indescribably talented but not perfect. He can be surpassed and I believe he thought Naruto-kun would be the one to do so."

"Sandaime-sama, that is even more reason to draft him. He'll get dedicated training and experience. Kakashi, Jiraiya and Tsunade do what they can but all have to split focus to other duties or charges."

"My decision on this is final, Cat. Naruto-kun was meant for the light, not the darkness and if you've spoken to Tenzo then you know he is building bonds with many. He's not that lonely, little boy you used to watch play in the forest. Besides, Naruto-kun doesn't need Cat but I bet Yugao would be a fine addition in his life."

"I… but?"

"Did you really think I allowed Kakashi-kun to be his sensei, bring Jiraiya back but deny you? I honestly assumed I wouldn't have to tell you. He knows about his parents so you can introduce yourself."

"Thank you, Hokage-sama,"

* * *

"Sai, Haku, secure the perimeter," Jiraiya ordered. The small house they were set to enter was unassuming but he wouldn't allow himself to be overly lax again. The two departed without a word. He saw his other student making the cross-shaped hand sign and Jiraiya swatted his hands apart. "What do you think you're doing, Naruto?"

"Creating clones to add security seals to the house," he answered.

"Team medic doesn't do that. Team medic treats injuries. And what are you?"

"Experiencing a great deal of irritation caused by you," Naruto replied, neutrally.

"The team medic, yes you are," Jiraiya spoke, answering his own question and ignoring his godson. He knew he was being hard on the boy but what Naruto did was stupid. Jiraiya didn't care if it worked out. It was an unnecessary risk. That he had to admonish Naruto for doing something stupid in a similar way to how he once admonished Minato didn't help things. He'd lost him way too soon and he would not lose Naruto.

But the Uzumaki was hardheaded, insistent he took the correct course of action. Jiraiya needed him to understand it wasn't ok to deceive his team leader, even for a just cause. And revenge, which is what Jiraiya would chalk this up to, would never be just. The Sannin knocked on the door and immediately heard scurrying about.

"W-what's the password?" he heard a kunoichi timidly ask. Jiraiya rolled his eyes as there were a lot of passwords and how you knew which one to give was set up by the first person speaking. They start the phrase, you end it.

"The password is I'm Jiraiya of the Sannin now open the door, Missy."

"N-no."

Jiraiya facepalmed. He could hear how rattled the girl was just by her voice. Still, had she not been trained on how to verify support? He wondered what Kakashi was teaching his team.

"Sakura-san, I offered to have sex with you once we reached 16. You did not seem receptive to the offer." The door opened and Naruto was ensconced in a hug. Without any diagnostic jutsu, he could tell his teammate was nearing exhaustion and needed rest. Whatever she could relay wouldn't be credible so Naruto raised a green glowing hand to her temple. She instantly went slack in his arms and he executed a bridal carry as they entered the cabin-like home. As they entered, they saw Kakashi on the couch palming a kunai but looking otherwise unbothered.

"Oh, Naruto-kun, you sly devil." Naruto looked at his sensei and then at his godfather, not understanding the implication. Kakashi eye smiled figuring Naruto wouldn't get it. "Spare room is in the back, lay her down and then check on Sasuke and Lee, ok?" Naruto nodded and walked off.

"As relieved as I am to see you, Jiraiya-sama, you seem stressed." Jiraiya scoffed.

"I'm beyond stressed, Kakashi. I am in a storm of shit of which there is no safe passage nor dry land. We raided one of Orochimaru's bases, it was our first mission. The Snake responds by having his elite bodyguards attack my team and snatch Naruto while I was with a contact," Jiraiya rubbed at his temple, trying to will away his headache. Had he paid attention he'd have noticed Kakashi visibly tense, only having seen his student reassured him the boy was ok.

"And if that wasn't bad enough, Kushina's brat decides that each of the ninja involved in his abduction had to die. Not for kidnapping him, he by all appearances doesn't even give a shit. No, it's because they hurt Sai and Haku in the attempt. So, what does he do? He goes to fucking war by himself in a base where Orochimaru was in attendance. And he almost pulled it off. He even managed to beat a Kaguya. By the time I got there it looked like a team of demolition experts had gone crazy.

Sensei and Hime know he was snatched, know Orochimaru has interest in him. Sensei sent Enma to inform me of his displeasure. Katsuya tells me Tsunade is creating a new technique just for me. Hell, I can't even reprimand the kid too harshly without Haku wanting to use my nutsack for target practice. She's been his shadow since we got him back. This has just been a mess," Jiraiya finished and finally looked at Kakashi. He didn't not like what he was seeing.

"I know you were long time ANBU and you masks get all turned around but do not, under any circumstances, praise him for what he did, Kakashi. I don't want to encourage this kind of behavior, not misleading me nor in revenge seeking."

Kakashi didn't bother to fight the pride he was feeling and resolved to get the full report once he returned to the village. "I won't but I won't admonish him either, not without all the information."

"Sure, whatever," the Sannin replied. "Now, what happened to you?"

"Oh, you know? Came to escort the client to the capital to get her away from local crime lord. Residents poison me and attempted to do the same to the Genin out of fear of what would happen if crime lord doesn't get what he wants. Crime Lord's muscle, made of multiple missing or former ninja attack and with me poisoned we sustained more damage than we would otherwise while losing the client."

"Ok, give me everything you know and I'll complete the mission."

"With the rest of your team?"

"No. My bastard of a former teammate pissed me off and I need to cut loose. Can't do that with the kids around. Besides, Haku and Sai will be more than enough to guard this place. Naruto is remanded to non-combat duties unless absolutely necessary."

"You sure you want to provoke him like this? As you say, he is Kushina's child and you remember she always got even. Always," The Copy Ninja stressed.

"Pfft, I'm a Sannin, what can that brat do to me?"

"He bought your publisher, remember?"

"Well, he can't buy them a second time. I'll be fine." Kakashi didn't bother to respond further, as he reasoned Jiraiya would simply have to learn the hard way.

"Naruto-kun?" Lee asked in surprise as his newest friend walked into the bedroom. Both he and Sasuke were on bedrolls. "Is Sakura-chan alright?" the taijutsu specialist asked in concern. Sasuke remained quiet, only watching his occasional teammate lie Sakura down on her own bedroll.

"She is fine, Lee-san," Naruto said once he'd gotten Sakura down, "she just needed some rest. She'll wake up in a few hours." Naruto created a shadow clone and sent it to Lee as he moved to and kneeled next to Sasuke. The original and the clone began their diagnostic jutsu and Naruto noticed the gash on Sasuke's side. It was deep but bandaged well so as long as Sasuke didn't make any sudden moves he'd have been fine. He also noticed high levels of dopamine and norepinephrine. There were signs of fatigue and high blood pressure as well.

"Sasuke-san, can you tell me what happened?"

"We got ambushed. Handled the initial wave but there were a few missing nin that overwhelmed us. I activated my Sharingan in time to save Sakura from getting killed. Though, who knows what state we'd be in if our team medic was with us from the start," Sasuke said bitterly. He wasn't really mad at Naruto or Sakura for that matter. It did scare him how close he came to dying, to never fulfilling his life's ambition.

"Reasonable," Naruto replied, taking no offense. He continued his check up, now focusing on Sasuke's newly evolved eyes. "Your Sharingan, what do you experience when you activate it? How did you activate it?"

"I don't know, we were getting overwhelmed and they just activated. Suddenly, everything seemed slower and I could react better to it. It's why I was able to get to Sakura."

'Tachypsychia, trauma induced,' Naruto thought and would make note of it in his medical report. "Sasuke-san, I would recommend you not activating your Sharingan again before undergoing a full workup once you've returned to the village." The Uchiha wasn't happy about that but didn't protest, still tired and sore from the attack.

The clone was attending to Lee and noticing a high degree of muscle strain and tears. The Youthful Beast explained the Eight Inner Gates while he regaled him of his fierce battle. It was very vivid and the clone nodded in appreciation of Lee's storytelling ability. The clone repaired the most serious of the damage making sure Lee could be operational should the need arise but letting the body finish healing naturally was generally preferable. He'd only need a day or two of rest and he'd be fine.

Naruto returned to the front room to render treatment to Kakashi. The boy worked in silence, only humming when he discovered an anomaly. Nothing life threatening but something he'd request a more experienced medic look over in his report. Kakashi watched Chibi, debating whether he should ignore Jiraiya's request and praise his favorite student for doing something cool. He doubted Sasuke nor Sakura would do anything half as cool until they were Chunin.

"So, Jiraiya-sama tells me you found yourself in a bit of trouble," Kakashi observed, dryly.

"Yes," Naruto responded as he was writing his report.

"And how do you feel about everything?"

"Displeased. I failed to neutralize all of my desired targets."

"Understandable but not every mission can be a success. How about your team? How are Sai and Haku?"

"Sai has voiced his displeasure at his performance as well. Haku… I do not know. She has, unless ordered otherwise, remained very close to me since my return."

"That's not all bad is it?"

"No, I am amenable to it but am unsure of the motivation. She says she is fine but I do not believe that to be the case, however I am unsure how to proceed."

Kakashi thought about the Hyoton user and what he knew of her, not taking long for his vast intellect to reach a conclusion. "You know, she defined herself by her ability to protect and be of value to Zabuza. For a long time that's how she understood the world. I doubt she's changed that radically in such a short time. Maybe she believed she should have been better able to protect you and feels bad she could not."

"We are a team and she is my friend, not a guard," Naruto responds.

"Yes, but the same could be said for you. Once you confirmed Orochimaru was behind the abduction you could have allowed Jiraiya-sama to reverse summon you. You have to allow that your friends will be as protective of you as you are of them."

"I accept the premise but I am perfectly fine and yet she is not."

"Then maybe she needs some reassurance," Kakashi suggested. Naruto looked at his sensei to see if there would be more and when there was not he nodded and began to write his reports. Knowing a secondary conversation wouldn't impede his report writing, Kakashi continued, "So, about Orochimaru how do you feel about all of that?"

"I am unsure. As he is a known traitor and enemy to Oji-san and the Leaf I am tempted to simply dismiss his words about the Yondaime as empty."

"What did he say about Minato-sensei?"

"He said he was a natural killer and his interest in me was that we shared that trait. Is it true?" Naruto asked and Kakashi experienced a wave of revulsion.

"No. Orochimaru is mad and his madness colors his perspective. Minato-sensei simply could endure the realities of shinobi life better than anyone I've known. He knew how to make and accept the hard decisions but when the mission was over he knew how to enjoy life. If I see any comparison between you two it is that. Sensei was a skilled killer but he didn't enjoy it. He also wasn't wracked with guilt. Orochimaru is a psychopath and no matter what he says, I know you aren't that," Kakasi explained to his student.

Naruto nodded as he finished his report, submitting it to Tsunade via the shared storage seal. He was going to start on a seal project but Sai came through the door, ever present smile on his face.

"We subdued three enemy ninja," Sai stated.

"Hmm, excellent work. I'll meet up with Haku, you stay here with Naruto-kun," he instructed the smiling boy. Sai nodded and Kakashi started toward Haku, easily reversing Sai's route through scent.

"Is Haku ok?"

"She's a sadist," Sai offered his psychological diagnosis.

"Physically?"

"Yes, ignoring the sadism she is well."

* * *

Tsunade sat in the cafeteria with her long time student, enjoying her soup and sandwich. She could have eaten in her office but she made it a point to be in common areas. No, she wasn't the warmest nor friendliest person in the world but her staff couldn't find her unapproachable either. Eating amongst them was just one way she attempted to show that.

Her hazel orbs were looking over Naruto's just submitted report and she was intrigued. If he were correct it pointed toward some interesting treatment options but she wouldn't know until Team 7 returned. As she was handing the report to Shizune, intending to request her opinion, the Sannin was joined by a purple haired kunoichi. Tsunade considered the woman standing in front of her. It wasn't hard to deduce who she was given the hair, the last Senju having seen the ANBU around from time to time. Some might wonder how ANBU were allowed such distinctive characteristics but if you were an enemy and you saw ANBU you were about to die anyway.

"Forgive me for interrupting, Tsunade-sama but may I have a moment of your time?" the fellow leaf ninja asked.

"Sure…"

"Yugao, ma'am. Uzuki Yugao."

"Yugao, of course, have a seat," Tsunade invited and the swordswoman accepted. "What can I do for you?"

"I was hoping you could tell me a little about Uzumaki Naruto-kun. I was on his detail when he was small but reassigned once he joined the academy and haven't been able to keep tabs on him since." Yugao explained but Tsunade was incredulous.

"So curious just because you watched him several years ago? If I'm going to discuss my student with a relative stranger I need a little more than that. Besides, you wouldn't want me to misread your motives."

Yugao received the threat, as it was intended, but showed no outward signs she was intimidated. "I was mentored by his mother for a short time before she became pregnant," she shared. "I would have liked to have been more involved but it was thought to be safer if I was not. Sandaime-sama just gave me permission to meet with him socially and I thought I could share some things with him about his mom that others wouldn't know."

"Hmm, ok. Well, Shizune spends as much time with him as I do so what would you say about your kohai?" Tsunade asked, teasingly. Her student had taken to Naruto quite fast, liking someone paying such close attention to her. Tsunade knew her long-time student well enough to know she had to fight the urge to treat the boy like a life sized plushy everytime he cocked his head to the side and squinted when in deep thought.

Shizune wasn't affected by her master's taunts, having grown used to them over the years. She, instead, simply answered Yugao, "Naruto-kun approaches the world as if it is a series of puzzles. Some he solves quickly, others more slowly but I doubt he ever gives up. This is why he'll make a good diagnostician. The problem is, he's so used to trying to figure things out that he often misses when he should simply experience something.

He idolizes the Sandaime, adores Konohamaru-kun and cherishes his best friend, Hinata-chan; though he likely doesn't understand that's how he feels about these individuals. He can be very kind, in his way, never intending to be rude or mean. But given recent events, he can also be very unkind if the situation calls for it." Yugao could only grimly nod at the final part of Shizune's statement. She saw the aftermath of his unkindness.

"Brat also likes the ladies."

"Yes, I've heard whispers about his fondness for the fairer sex. I worry about Kakashi and Jiraiya-sama's influence."

"Oh, yea, that'll be something to stamp out but I mean he genuinely likes women. I don't think it's an accident most of his friends are girls." Yugao nodded at Tsunade's correction.

"Is there anything else I should know?"

Both medics answered in the negative and Yugao departed. She had a few more stops to make before her information gathering was completed.

* * *

Kakashi arrived to the scene of the battle, if it could be called that. The three ninja that harmed his cute, little students were riddled with senbon and unconscious. He found that surprising because from what Naruto told to him, this Haku was a precision fighter. However, it appeared she went to town on the three feld ninja before him. Paired with the vision of overwhelming violence, Haku stood before the Copy Ninja looking quite innocent. It was slightly unnerving.

"Haku-chan, report," Kakashi casually ordered.

"I saw the three making their way to the cabin and intercepted them. They tried to resist and greater force was called for," she answered.

"And you are sure all this was necessary?" Kakashi asked, skeptical of her conclusion.

"Very, Hatake-san."

"Well, good. Why don't you head back to the cabin and I'll educate these young men on the error of their wicked ways."

"They are unconcious, Hatake-san," Haku observed.

"Then it will be a short lesson, won't it?" Kakashi posed the rhetorical question why favoring Haku with an eye smile. She simply departed via shunshin and allowed the odd man to do what he was. Kakashi return to his observance of the trio of fair-skinned and platinum blond missing ninja. He knew them, the three were infamous. Called the Lightning Brothers, the triplets had the distinct dishonor of becoming missing ninja because they were too stupid to find their way back to Kumo after a mission. Ay simply wanted to be rid of them hence the burn notice.

"Now, what to do with you poor devils. You aren't really worth enough to bother with a bounty. Can't possibly know enough to use for information. Anything you did know, Jiraiya is currently making it moot anyway. And, you hurt my team. Decisions… decisions."

As Haku arrived to the cabin she heard the faint sounds of many birds chirping.

* * *

Yugao walked into the dimly lit bar. It was the perfect spot for day drinking; dark, moderately spacious and with a workforce and clientele that knew how to keep secrets. She just hoped her target was sober enough to be of use, or even mildly coherent. He was not a hard man to spot, even in a place as sparsely lit as her current location. He simply oozed a regal aura, fitting for the head of the Hyuuga clan. What was unexpected was his company, several of the other clan heads.

Yugao approached the shared booth and gave a slight bow when the clan leaders turned to her. "Forgive my intrusion but may I have a brief word with you, Hiashi-sama?"

"Yugao-san," Hiashi greeted, "Unless it is Hyuuga business I am sure whatever you wish to discuss with me can happen right here." Hiashi offered. In truth he was drunk and had no desire to leave his seat.

"If you're sure," Yugao responded and the man nodded while Choza offered her a seat. "I wish to ask you about your impression of Uzumaki Naruto-kun. I know Hinata and he are friends and I was just wanted your opinion of him."

"What makes you so interested in the pup?" Tsume asked in curiosity.

Hiashi chuckled and said, "Careful, Tsume. If Yugao-san answered that she'd have to kill the majority of us at this table and I like my head where it is. It makes me look regal."

"You get self-complimentary when you drink, Hiashi. It's too troublesome," Shikaku observed.

"Hiashi-san seems to know more than he should," Yugao stated.

The directive given to the ANBU and Jiraiya was not widely spread to other shinobi, clan head or otherwise. How he knew of the Sandaime's orders to silence anyone that questioned, investigated or implied anything remotely true about Naruto's heritage was to be removed with extreme prejudice. Some might say it is cruel to have such an order given to the most elite assassins of the village without informing anyone else but the Sandaime reasoned if he didn't tell anyone not to look into Naruto's ancestry they wouldn't question why they shouldn't.

"I wish I could claim some stellar ninja tradecraft but the Sandaime informed himself a few years ago. Now, about Naruto-san," Hiashi started but was cut off.

"He's an incorrigible pervert with designs on my baby girl," Inoichi complained. "And he even managed to win my wife over. I don't get how Hiashi allows him around Hinata so much. We should team up, Hiashi. Team up and save our little girls," Inoichi pleaded as he slammed his drink down.

"The overprotective father thing would work better if your and my child weren't juvenile soldiers, Inoichi. Have some self-respect," Hiashi chastised.

"Yes, there is a whole lot I can't protect my Ino-chan from but boys? I can do that. And look, I wrote up the psychological profile on Naruto and it made me disgusted with this village for a very long time. He doesn't get my daughter's virginity because of it."

"Shut the hell up, Inochi!" Tsume barked. "You can't decide who your kid sleeps with, when she chooses to, anymore than you could decide her hair color. And if the genders were reversed you wouldn't even care."

"I am comfortable in my hypocrisy," Inoichi said.

"Typical male," the Inuzuka replied.

"Troublesome. Hiashi, you haven't answered Yugao-san's question."

"Right, sorry," the Hyuuga apologized. Yugao waved him off. "Uzumaki Naruto, our greatest dishonor as a village and mine as a father. I owe the young man. He managed to get through to Hinata-chan when none of my methods worked."

"You mean being a hard ass and then a harder ass?" Tsume asked.

"Yes. She's developed incredibly well since they became friends and I worry about her less because of it. Am I thrilled that she has designs on a boy with a wandering eye? No, but I know better than to stand between a Hyuuga woman and her desire. As for the boy himself, he is honest and polite; though never deferential. I trust if Hinata ever needed him for something he'd deliver it."

"That must make you anxious given the old," Shikaku pointed to his forehead. And it did give Hiashi pause. He didn't know how good the Uzumaki was at seals as far as official ranking but he knew the boy was incredibly skilled. The sole condition he put on Hinata's friendship with Naruto was that she did not try to get him to remove the Caged Bird Seal. He remembered the visible pain in her eyes when she agreed to forego one of her sincerest desires.

"A little," Hiashi said.

"Kiba said the pup was kinda weird, like emotionless or something."

"He has emotions," Inochi corrected. "I'm too drunk to go into it but he _has_ them. And we're lucky muted affect is all he has." Inoichi took two quick shots before continuing. "Damn kid deserved better. Cursed to have a father that loved the village more than him… because he believed in the village that would let a no name orphan be its leader. The Will of Fire. We pissed on it."

"Hold up, are you saying-" Tsume started but Hiashi interrupted her before the only sober ninja among them, an ANBU no less, silenced her.

"He isn't saying anything, Tsume. Right, Inoichi?"

"Pfft, whatever. If we'd done right things would be different. If either of _them_ were here, could come back and see what we caused… you couldn't dig the graves fast enough." A collective shudder was had by the table as they imagined chakra chains and teleporting ninja. Getting what she came for, even if it wasn't much, Yugao excused herself and left, resolving to never do that again.

* * *

Haku looked at the flowers being presented to her, the assortment of red, yellow and orange meshed with the dusk setting. She also noticed the bouquet wrapped in sealing paper, her rudimentary knowledge telling her the seals had something to do with water. She concluded Naruto created some kind of hydrating seal, removing the need for a water filled vase. As she reached for the flowers, her eyes moved away from the impromptu gift to the blue eyes of the gift giver. Some would call them blank but she knew better. Free from judgment, yes, but never empty of meaning.

"Thank you, Naruto-kun. What have I done to receive such a lovely gift?" Naruto squinted and leaned his head to the side. Haku assumed it was an expression of surprise, he likely hadn't thought she'd asked why she was receiving a gift.

"Hatake-sensei said I should come up with a way to reassure you that I am ok so you will be ok." It didn't shock the Hyoton user that he'd noticed her change in behavior. She knew Sai was right, she had been clingy as a way to manage her guilt. If she wasn't so insistent on not killing she would not have left herself open to that arrow and Naruto wouldn't have been taken.

"I know you are, I'm sorry for crowding you, Naruto-kun."

"I do not feel crowded, though I do not know what it is to feel crowded. I do not mind you being close, Haku. And what happened was not your fault. I should have seen to our security and did not. I was negligent and we were ambushed because of it. I subsequently failed to get all responsible but should the opportunity arise in the future I will not fail again."

"We all share responsibility, Naruto-kun," Haku countered. While he could have, placing down security seals post mission would be paranoid in most situations. It was not unreasonable to think themselves far enough away from the base to be out of the range of retaliation and with Jiraiya with them that'd scare off all but the most...

"Do you really believe that?" Naruto asked but it couldn't quell the realization Haku just had.

"Honestly, no. I was so used to seeing myself as a tool for Zabuza that being a friend is very new. You and even Sai-kun are dear to me so if you are harmed it feels like I have failed my purpose. However, now I am wondering something else. Isn't it convenient those Sound Ninja attacked while Jiraiya was meeting a contact?"

Haku watched as Naruto squinted as he thought, quickly coming to the same conclusion she had, "Jiraiya's contact sold us out."

"I think it is possible, the timing is too coincidental. And while I've heard of coincidence I've never once seen it." Naruto didn't respond but Haku knew it was because the next steps were obvious, alert Jiraiya and lay a trap for the burned contact. And as she'd changed topics he wouldn't go back to her recent behavior.

"Thank you, Naruto-kun."

"You already thanked me for the flowers."

"Not for those, but they are lovely. Thank you for being my friend and never judging me. Thank you for accepting me." Haku said but her words were hollow, a poor measure for how she was feeling. "I hope Hinata-chan will forgive me," she spoke. Naruto was going to ask what she'd need forgiveness for but before the words could leave his mouth, he felt two warm, moist lips on his own. It was over as fast as it began but the Uzumaki was speechless. He felt an unfamiliar warmth in his face. Haku ran her hands through his spiky locks and giggled, turning away and walking toward the cabin. Not even Kakashi appearing beside him stirred the genin out of his trance.

"Your first kiss, and with a cutie no less. You do your sensei proud, Naruto-kun," Kakashi said, favoring his student with an eye smile." Naruto could only respond with a slight smile as his hand rubbed the back of his head. His only thought was that he should try to reassure his friends more often.

* * *

 **Now we can start the Chunin exams… kinda. Sorta. Gaara and Temari show up next time. Kankuro will be there too but be honest, you don't really care about him!**

 **Sorry for the delay, y'all. This chapter fought me (kicked my ass really) but I have endured and am back on my grind. Excited about what happens next. Hope you will be, too.**


	15. Chapter 15

A flutter of his eyes is how Konohamaru started the day. He looked out his window and could see it was still dark, just a little sunlight peeking over the horizon. The young Sarutobi yawned as he stretched his arms to the sky, then swiftly removed his blue and green comforter. It was time to start his day. Changing out of his monkey print pajamas, Konohamaru put on his navy blue training gi, sandals and headed outside.

Konohamaru stared at his pre-dawn foe. The same one he faced every morning. He took up his stance, knees bent, back straight. He approached his enemy and proceeded to strike it relentlessly. The first task of his morning routine was hitting a training dummy and Konohamaru was diligent in his practice. Rhythmic thuds could be heard as Konohamaru followed the striking progression his Grandpa showed him, paying attention to his footwork as well.

When he learned that no one woke up his nii-chan every morning to train it initially made him sad but it also motivated him. He believed his nii-chan must be really dedicated to wake up on his own and start his day. After that, the youngest Sarutobi resolved to do the same. It took time but he got there, impressing his mother and grandfather both.

After forty-five minutes of non-stop striking, Konohamaru ends his session. He ignored the dull hum of pain he felt in his limbs, the pain once being more pronounced was only a minor annoyance. A quick shower and change of clothes later, Kono was seated at the breakfast table. His Uncle Asuma was drinking tea, looking barely awake. That is, until an unexpected presence joined them.

"Grandpa?" The academy student asked in genuine surprise. Normally, his grandfather would be already hard at work in his office.

"Konohamaru-kun, Asuma," Hiruzen greeted with a kind smile.

"Father, you playing hooky today?"

"No such luck. I was invited to see a worksite today is all. I'll go to my office after that," the aged Hokage answered Asuma, mirth brimming in his eyes. It took Konohamaru a second to process Hiruzen words but when he did a face splitting grin adorned his face.

"Really, Grandpa?" he asked in excitement and mild disbelief. He knew his grandfather was incredibly busy so creating extra time for his family was difficult. While he missed him, and his mom, Konohamaru normally had his nii-chan around to take some of the loneliness away, along with Moegi and Udon. However, even his extended absence had the young Sarutobi feeling a little down. Hiruzen recognized his grandson's emotional state, it resonating with him deeply due to how he'd failed Naruto. He promised himself to do better and made time for Kono.

"Really. So eat up, I want to see this modern marvel my grandsons have concocted." Hiruzen smiled as his grandson ate as fast as he could while still adhering to proper table etiquette. As soon as he was done he was rushing his grandfather out the door. So busy with his breakfast, and Hiruzen doting on Konohamaru, neither noticed the frown of Asuma when he heard his father mention seeing the work of his grandsons, plural.

The two diminutive Sarutobis walked throughout the village. It was early yet so most shops were just opening. All were delighted to see their Hokage and the Honorable Grandson and greeted them warmly. Hiruzen returned the gestures but Konohamaru was silent. He used to hate being called the Honorable Grandson, wanting to be known as his own person. But when he walked with his nii-chan he saw how different they treated him. At least being called the Honorable Grandson was nice. They ignored his nii-chan like they couldn't see him, like he wasn't worthy of their notice. It made the young boy angry and he wanted to blow up, to yell at them.

He remembered once asking his nii-chan if their treatment bothered him, if their lack of acknowledgment made him sad. He said, "you acknowledge me so what more do I need," and spoke no more on the matter. Konohamaru remembered how happy that made him and while he would still be bothered by the village not treating his nii-chan well, he wouldn't complain about what they called him. Honorable Grandson was a challenge. When Konohamaru proved himself to be more than the Hokage's grandson, everyone would recognize him as such. Until then, he had his family and his nii-chan. That was enough.

The duo arrived to their destination, the nearly completed remodel of Naruto's apartment complex. The retail sections were already installed as were many of the other amenities. Hiruzen smiled when he recalled the first time he visited the site with Kono-chan. His grandson insisted that, "No one gets on my site without a hardhat, Grandpa," and while it was silly for the God of Shinobi to be overly concerned about falling debris, if Onoki couldn't kill him from the sky then a brick wasn't, he placated the littlest Foreman in the Land of Fire.

"You think Nii-chan will be happy?" Konohamaru asked.

"I think he will be quite pleased and very thankful you kept the crews on task," Hiruzen said, rubbing Kono's head. The younger Sarutobi blushed at the contact and flashed a thousand watt smile. Konohamaru gave his grandfather a quick tour, as it was almost time for the Academy to start. Hiruzen was impressed, taking apartments with exterior exits and building a complex connecting to the back of the original structure, leaving the possibility of erecting another tower of apartments at a later date. It was a wise investment and Naruto would do well because of it. So would Konohamaru, as unbeknown to him his brother had created a generous trust fund for him once he reached the age of majority.

After the tour, in which Konohamaru even explained some of the sealing used, in rudimentary terms, the pair parted. Noticing the time, Konohamaru darted toward the Academy, not wishing to incur Iruka-sensei's wrath. Nearing his destination, the Sarutobi heir was confident he would make it on time by the slimmest of margins. His hopes were dashed when he heard the sounds of bullying not far from his location. He sighed, as intervening was going to make him late but as the future Hokage it was his responsibility to look out for his people. Sometimes the Will of Fire was a pain.

Konohamaru shimmed up a nearby tree and then, utilizing the steps of the Silent Killing method he'd learned, stealthily made his way to the group. Once in full view, Konohamaru frowned. It seemed Heiki and his two lackeys were picking on a Hyuuga. By all appearances, one years younger than them. If that wasn't enough to make him want to pound them, that these were the boys that insulted his nii-chan surely did.

While younger and outnumbered, the Hyuuga girl didn't seem to care as she took up her stance, tired of the boys insulting her eyes. "Look, the baby wants to fight. Guess she thinks because she comes from some big deal clan she can take us. Isn't that right, baby?" Heiki mocked, causing the girl to glare. As she was set to go on the offensive her plans were interrupted by a blur coming from up above. Konohamaru, having had his fill of Heiki's mouth jumped down from the tree and chopped the boy on the back of his neck. Before the two lackeys, who had been on either side of Heiki, could turn around Konohamaru delivered two debilitating blows simultaneously to the kidneys of the hangers on. They dropped immediately, passing out from the shock of the painful strikes.

"I could have handled them," the Hyuuga stated and Konohamaru rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment.

"I'm sure you could have Hyuuga-san, but as the future sixth Hokage it's important I help out where I can." The Hyuuga member wanted to scoff at the boy's pronouncement but for some reason his bright smile was infectious and she couldn't.

"Hanabi-chan!" a voice called out and the girl looked toward it. When she turned back around the interloper, as she refused to consider him her savior, was gone as if he'd never been there. "Hanabi-chan, you have to stop running off." Natsu, her caretaker, admonished. "And did you attack these boys? Hiashi-sama will not be pleased."

"I didn't do it, some boy did. But I was since they were picking on me," Hanabi explained. Natsu nodded and watched as the boys returned to consciousness.

"You three are lucky you didn't touch Hanabi-sama; attacking the clan head's daughter could cause the entire clan to retaliate. Do. Not. Do. It. Again," Natsu warned, her bloodline activated and menacing glare in full effect. The boys paled and limped off. As the now identified Hanabi was informing Natsu of her brief run in Konohamaru was sneaking into class through the window. Either Udon or Moegi was kind enough to leave it open and Iruka had his back turned. Kono silently moved toward his chair, taking a seat without calling attention to himself. Just as he was about to relax a piece of chalk rocketed toward him, hitting the Sarutobi dead between the eyes and knocking him back in his seat and to the ground.

"Ow!" Konohamaru exclaimed. "What's the big idea, Iruka-sensei?" He asked as he got up, returning his chair to the upright position.

"The big idea, Konohamaru is that you're late and instead of taking responsibility you tried to sneak in."

"It's almost as if I want to be a ninja," he said under his breath but loud enough for Iruka to hear causing the instructor to fling another piece of chalk toward the boy, hitting in the same location.

"Watch that smart mouth, speak quieter, or learn to dodge," Iruka advised. Konohamaru continued to mutter about his sensei and it is only his long instilled discipline that allowed the Academy teacher to continue his lesson plan as a part of him wanted to inform Konohamaru that there was no way _that_ could fit _there_ and then wash the boy's mouth out for such language.

When Heiki and his crew walk in, the signs of them having been attacked are obvious. Two of the boys are limping in pain and Heiki looked glassy eyed. It didn't take much for Iruka to conclude they did something and Konohamaru attacked them again, though this time he seemed to come away unscathed from the encounter.

"Why are you three late?" Iruka questioned and their body language signaled they planned to lie. "Tell the truth."

"We were just messing around and then someone jumped us from behind," Heiki explained. Iruka narrowed his eyes at the brown haired boy.

"And you didn't see who did it?" All three shook their heads no.

"Well, regardless you're late so you'll be running extra laps during PT. Now, take your seats."

The morning lessons continued without further interruption. Konohamaru liked Iruka-sensei but found the man's lecturing style to be boring. When he felt his concentration slipping he practiced an exercise his mom taught him, a way to half pay attention to Iruka-sensei and absorb the lecture while discreetly scoping out the classroom. It was the most exciting place to surveil, as almost nothing changed, but it gave Konohamaru enough of a break so he could refresh himself. Before he knew it lunch time had arrived and the Sarutobi was thankful for the break.

After getting their lunch trays, the Konohamaru Corps decided to eat outside. As they enjoyed the midday weather a yellow toad appeared on the table in a cloud of smoke. It was one of his nii-chan's summons, Kono observed.

"Gamatatsu?" Konohamaru asked in surprise.

"Hi, Konohamaru. Do you have any snacks?" the little toad asked causing the three students to form a sweatdrop.

"Before that, did Nii-chan send you here for a reason?"

"Oh, yea. He said he'd be back in two days. Now, can I have some snacks?"

"Didn't Nii-chan already give you some in payment?" Kono asked, knowing it to be the case.

"It doesn't mean I can't get more," Gamatatsu reasoned.

"Fine, you wanna hangout until lunch is over?" Kono asked and the toad nodded in glee. The trio shared their lunches with the summons as they chatted about various topics. It was a pleasant lunch until it was interrupted by the last people Konohamaru wanted to deal with.

"Hey!" Heiki shouted as he marched over to the table, flanked by his usual company. "It was you, wasn't it? You hit me before class and I got in trouble for it."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Heiki-san," the Sarutobi responded, feigning innocence.

"Liar, it was you. Tell me why I shouldn't pound you into the ground?" Heiki threatened as he arrived to his destination, having brought the attention of a crowd with him.

"How about the fact he's already kicked your butt before?" Moegi questioned. The schoolyard bully's face went red.

"That was luck."

"But you're accusing him of having done it again. Twice isn't luck," Udon reasoned, angering the boy even more. No longer thinking he lashed out and grabbed Konohamaru by the collar with one hand and lifted the other to strike him. The firm grip of Iruka-sensei prevented the punch from ever being thrown.

"Go to the Headmaster, right now," Iruka ordered and then turned his attention to the rest of the students, "and all of you return to class." All complied except the Konohamaru Corps. Iruka saw the anger in the eyes of the Hokage's grandson and he wanted to avoid Konohamaru lashing out or escalating things. "You did the right thing by not engaging with him Konohamaru. Sometimes it takes more courage not to act, I'm proud of you."

Konohamaru smiled at Iruka and gathered his things. "It's time to go, Gamatatsu but I'll see you later."

"Ok. Make sure to have more snacks," the glutton requested before disappearing. Kono simply shook his head at the weird, little toad. At least Gamakichi cared about more than just snacks.

"Are you really going to let Heiki get away with grabbing you, Kono-kun?" Moegi asked out of curiosity.

"No. Iruka-sensei was right, it was the wrong time to act. Too many witnesses. Besides, one more beatdown wasn't going to solve the problem. I'll break that stupid jerk over time until he begs me to stop."

"You have a plan?" Udon asked.

"Not yet. But I will and no one will be able to prove a thing, kore!"

* * *

Jiraiya looked over his temporary team as they walked in the busy village streets. Since his lecturing to Naruto hadn't been successful, he decided to take a different tact. He worked his godson. Morning, noon, and night. The same for the other two but he planned to really put Naruto through the ringer.

What stood out to him most was that none of them complained or showed signs of discomfort. No frowns or grunts of exertion even when nearing exhaustion. It was maddening as one of the perks of being a sensei is slightly torturing your students and reveling in their discomfort. When the physical exercises weren't enough, Jiraiya tossed in more sparring. The team against him, the team sparring themselves, and they sparring him individually, though that was mostly saved for Naruto. And yet, nothing. Even making Naruto increase his resistance seals at a higher rate only netted him a hum of acknowledgement.

When just purely physical work didn't get the desired results he made them expand their chakra manipulation. He had Sai drawing different beasts of different species and sizes as fast as he could for as long as he could. Haku was made to practice pulling water out of the air. Naruto was given a B rank Katon jutsu and told to learn it without completing any of the nature transformation exercises. Sai increased the efficacy of his main jutsu, Haku expanded her chakra reserves while maintaining her control and Naruto had a field ready version of the fire technique.

His intention was to impart the lesson to never cross or mislead him. That he'd work them into the ground if they did. But as the primary culprit remained indifferent to Jiraiya's lesson all he'd really done is make them stronger, faster, and better. The little shits. Still, he felt pride in their growth. They would only be his temporary team but it reminded him of his old team while being different enough to not hurt or fill him with regrets.

"I'll get the rooms at the inn, check in by nightfall," Jiraiya ordered. They were on their last mission, escorting the Kazekage's children and Jounin Sensei to Konoha for the Chunin Exams. He cautioned Naruto against revealing anything since they'd be competition. The blond simply nodded but said nothing in response. Meeting them at the border had been a nonevent as far as Jiraiya was concerned, though he found Baki a little stiff and the short child to be weird and intense. As Jiraiya made his way to the inn to secure the rooms he simply couldn't know what his proximity to the Suna Jounin was doing to the semi-veiled man.

Baki was a top man of Suna. Strong enough and trusted enough to steward the Kazekage's children through their paths of becoming ninja. He'd seen war, lost friends, and carried the regrets that came with their profession. He didn't scare easily. Rasa-sama had his respect but did not invoke a sense of fear. Even Gaara was more a resigned wariness. But when he saw Jiraiya, the Toad Sage, was going to be his escort he'd swore Suna's planned betrayal had been uncovered and the Sannin was there to kill them all.

The trio of junior ninja that followed didn't help matters. They didn't talk. One of them was always smiling and the smallest one looked vaguely familiar. It set him on edge. To make matters worse, Baki knew if Gaara pulled any of his psycho nonsense with Jiraiya the boy was going to get his head caved in and there wasn't much Baki could do about it. He'd defend his student and village asset with his life but he had no need to sell himself on a false future. The outcome was known, the resistance offered a mere formality. In short, his life depended on Gaara acting somewhat normally. Even Tsunade Senju wouldn't take those odds. If he survived the exams and the invasion, Baki promised himself a two week vacation in a far off oasis.

As the Suna Jounin, and his most dangerous student, followed Jiraiya the other kids were left alone. Haku was the first to speak, suggesting she go look for a suitable spot for an early dinner. Kankuro opted to go with her. He seemed a little eager in Naruto's opinion, not that he understood why he made the observation. As those two departed and Sai went off to do Sai things, which could include painting the landscape or assassinating someone for Danzo-san, Naruto simply walked up to the nearest person.

"Excuse me, ma'am," Naruto interrupted. The woman looked down at the small boy and thought he was cute until she recognized his headband and stiffened just slightly. She'd never interacted with any of her country's ninja before but she'd heard stories.

"Yes?"

"Do you know where the nearest bookstore is? And possibly somewhere to pick up a trinket for a nine-year-old boy?" Naruto asked. He noticed the smile had quickly left her face but was confused when he returned after his question.

"Sure, sweetie. Just go down this main street and take the third left. We have a few shops for souvenirs or toys and a nice size bookstore at the end of the walkway."

"Thank you, ma'am," Naruto said and then walked away. He noticed the Suna kunoichi was following him. "Can I help you, Temari-san?"

"So you do speak? I was starting to wonder," she said sarcastically. She couldn't have known that Haku, Sai, and Naruto had been in constant communication (for them) using the communicator seal.

"If you wanted to speak to me, Temari-san, you could have simply spoke to me," Naruto reasoned and saw the cute girl blush a little.

"That's fair. So, where are we going?"

"I am in search of a book and a small item for my little brother." Temari gained this fair off looked as she turned her head away from Naruto.

"It's nice," she started, "to think about your little brother while on a mission. Not everyone would do that." Temari thought Naruto didn't follow up on her statement out of a sense of decorum, in truth he simply had nothing to add. As they passed by several shops, Naruto saw various toys that would appeal to a civilian but nothing that would interest Kono-chan. He saw some porcelain masks that looked vaguely similar to the ones the ANBU wear but Kono-chan could get that from his Kanna-san.

Temari watched as the sunshine blond looked over the items. To a less astute person it would look like he was dismissing things without consideration but she had a feeling the boy was doing the exact opposite. She watched him categorically reject a multitude of objects until he stopped rigid and pointed at something.

"How much, sir?" Temari heard him asked but didn't hear the price quoted back. The boy retrieved a frog wallet and gave a wad of ryo notes. The shopkeep put the item in the bag and finally she saw what garnered the Leaf Nin's approval, a pair of goggles. They were midnight blue, single lens. She had no idea why that was the right one but didn't bother to ask. After buying his item the boy continued along to the bookstore, Temari right behind him. She was surprised to see him go straight to the self-help and relationship section, her mouth moving faster than her mind.

"Are you in the right section?" she asked.

"Yes," was the one word reply. Like he did with the toys, her temporary companion breezed through multiple titles seemingly rejecting them.

"What could you need from this section? You're pretty young to need a self-help book or one about relationships even."

Naruto turned to her, his blue eyes peering into her teal orbs. "I received a kiss from a friend recently but am not sure why or how to gain another. I seek information to that end." Temari was silenced by the response and Naruto took it as her being satisfied so he resumed his search. Inwardly, Temari fumed that this pipsqueak managed to get a kiss before she did. If the boys of her village were intimidated by her father, they were terrified of her brother. No one would even attempt to ask her out. Temari felt she had to do something to salvage her self-esteem.

"Maybe you're reading too much into it. One of your little friends got crazy and gave you a peck, I wouldn't think too much about it. You're what, twelve? It really wasn't that big a deal."

"Yes, I am twelve. Haku is fifteen. Even by your logic, her actions would be more considered than my own," Naruto spoke never looking away from the bookshelf. He missed Temari's reaction of irritation. Haku was the kunoichi of his team and the wind mistress could admit the girl was very pretty. Like, the embodiment of pretty. And she kissed this gaki?

"So, why not just ask her to be your girlfriend? Seems simple enough unless you're afraid."

Naruto grabbed a book and headed toward the front, Temari quickly following behind him. "If I ask Haku to be my girlfriend it would be inappropriate to receive kisses from other people and yet there are multiple girls I would like to eventually kiss. I simply want Haku to kiss me, too." Temari gained a tic mark as absorbed the Uzumaki's words. So annoyed she didn't fully notice they had left the stores until a breeze was felt on her skin.

"Are you some kind of heir or something?" Temari asked, trying to find a justification for what she read as arrogance coming from the boy.

"Both my parents are dead and left me an inheritance, so yes, I am an heir," Naruto answered, never breaking stride. Temari flinched wondering if she'd upset him.

"Sorry, didn't mean to offend you."

"I am not offended, Temari-san. My parents died when I was very young and I've had years to accept it." Naruto continued, new destination in mind.

"So, they left you with a little brother to care for?" She asked, remembering how she was expected to watch after Kankuro and little Gaara when her mom passed.

"No, my brother is not through biology."

"Oh, you were adopted."

"No, I was never adopted, Temari-san." She winced.

"I'm really making an ass of myself, aren't I?" She considered just going to the inn to escape the awkwardness.

"I am not familiar with this phrase, Temari-san but from your tone I assume it is not a good thing."

"No, it means I'm embarrassing myself and being a jerk."

Naruto fully turned to look at the older girl in confusion. He really didn't know why she'd be embarrassed but it would be rude to just dismiss it outright. Looking her over and noting current conditions Naruto came to a conclusion. "Oh, how have you embarrassed yourself? Did the breeze catch your skirt?" Temari blushed red at the question.

"No, you pervert! Why would that be your guess?"

"I could see no other reason for your embarrassment and many would be so if strangers got a look at their panties. Or proof you weren't wearing any."

An embarrassed anger surged through Temari as she protested, "Of course I'm wearing panties." Naruto nodded as he continued walking but did think deeply about her words. Of course would imply the following words would be obvious. However, Hinata-chan had informed him she didn't wear panties so it wasn't a given that all kunoichi did. Naruto reasoned it was possible Hinata-chan hadn't told him the truth in an attempt to make a joke or prank him. There was really only one way to know and as he'd already quoted her his charge for medical services he'd only have to find a reason to provide them.

Naruto continued to consider his dilemma as Temari and he entered a small tavern. Temari still embarrassed never asked how Naruto knew to come here as the rest of his team and Kankuro were already seated. She noticed her brother looked sad for some reason.

When the brother and sister pair made eye contact they asked simultaneously, "What's wrong with you?" Each answering just as fast, "I'll tell you later." Temari's blush continued to recede while Kankuro's look of depression remained the same. Dinner came and went, Haku made sure to get takeout for the three that hadn't join and well before nightfall the ninja arrived at the inn. After checking in with Jiraiya, Naruto went to the roof to read, not wanting to show Haku his new purchase. Sai followed his friend, wanting to work on his own side project. Haku stayed in their shared room while Temari and Kankuro adjourned to their own, with a silent Gaara sitting and staring at nothing in particular.

"Ok, we're alone now, Kankuro. What happened?"

"The Leaf kunoichi. I was giving her my grade A stuff, my best material and she just turned me down flat."

"You're depressed because a girl you meet hours ago didn't fall for your crappy pick-up lines? Seriously?" Temari asked in disbelief.

"She's so hot!" was Kankuro's defense.

"She's somewhat attractive, don't overstate things," Temari retorted carelessly. When she reconsidered her words she wondered why she was running down a girl she'd already, internally, admitted was incredibly pretty.

"She's a smokeshow and that's a fact. Temari, I'm in love."

"You're both annoying," Gaara finally spoke. He'd love to threaten to kill them, he'd love to simply kill them and be rid of their company but Baki made it clear that should he indulge in any such activities before the exam the tall Konoha ninja would execute him without fail. Something even his father would have difficulty with. It set Gaara on edge and mother was being uncharacteristically quiet. He didn't like it, any of it. He decided to go to the roof to be alone before he killed someone by accident.

"Couldn't you just ask?" Sai posed his question as he applied his oil based paint the canvas. One of the benefits of having a seal master for a friend was it made packing his art supplies easy and convenient.

"I considered that approach. I concluded that much like my offers to have sex at a future date, it may be indelicate to simply ask. It also feels… cumbersome," Naruto answered while reading the introduction to his new book, _Escalation of Affection: A treatise on the Transition from Platonic to Romantic Love_.

"Cumbersome?" Sai asked as he thought about the dilemma. "Are you concerned about rejection? Was her unprompted willingness causal in your enjoyment?"

"It is not a variable I can rule out but as I was taken by surprise and only have one case, data is limited."

"Still, we must consider that you not only want future kisses but you want Haku to want to kiss you. Are you sure this is worth it?" Sai asked earnestly. He hadn't gotten his friend's interest in this realm of human expression. It seemed like more trouble than it was worth.

"I would be vehement in my assurance that it is, 'ttebayo," Naruto answered, muttering the last part. Neither boy was alarmed when the redhead Suna ninja arrived on the roof. He took to one corner and made no effort to converse with them so they let him be. As late evening transitioned into early night, Sai packed up his materials and went back to the room. Naruto resolved to stay, utilizing a flashlight to continue reading. In the back of his mind he resolved to find a way to read in the dark without need of a said appliance.

Gaara had come to the roof to be alone but once he arrived his attention fell unto the two boys there already. They felt empty and it bothered him. He was not used to apathy and it made him wonder if these people were simply good at masking their intent to harm him. Seeing that the blond was going to stay he decided to approach him.

"Why do you feel empty?"

"I don't know what that means," Naruto said as he continued reading but found the question odd.

"You have no emotions, not in the entire time you've been in my presences have you shown any? Is this a trick by my father to lower my guard? It will not work."

"I thought shinobi were meant to not show emotions. Logically, if you're surrounded by those that do they must be inferior and your question should be why they emote not why I do not. Secondly, I do not take orders from your father or any non-Leaf ninja not given authority by the Hokage and the Daimyo. Finally, the state of your guard is your concern. Getting you to Konoha unharmed is mine."

Gaara paused. He wasn't sure what to do, his father barked orders and made threats and almost no one else spoke to him so someone calmly rebutting him in a rational way was a new experience. He wasn't sure if he liked it. He almost walked back to his corner of the roof but that felt like a retreat, as if he'd been bested by this boy. He was Gaara of the Desert, that would not be allowed.

He zeroed in on what the blond was reading; it appeared to be a book about relationships. He wanted to scoff, he was just like everyone else; attempting to validate his existence through others. The strong only needed to love themselves.

"Why do you read such drivel?" Gaara asked, a sneer on his face.

"To seek information I do not currently have. Have you read this book? What makes it bad?" Once again Gaara was confused by the response.

"Of course not, I have no need. I love only myself and vow to kill all threats to my existence. It's the only validation I need." Gaara waited to hear the empty headed retort about the value of love.

"How will you know you aren't a brain in a vat?" Naruto asked.

"What?"

"If you isolate yourself how do you know all of reality as you experience it is real? You could be a brain in a vat and this is just a simulation. Or a complex genjutsu. You'd just be killing fictional people. So, you wouldn't have validated anything, really."

Gaara stared at the Uzumaki in complete silence. He had no response. He didn't know how to feel about the Leaf nina at all. Was he real? Was this all fake? How could he possibly know? Could anything be known? What even is knowledge? If this were all some simulation why have people hate him? Why have his family abandon and try to kill him?

Gaara felt unmoored as he returned to his room holding his head. Mother was still silent so he was alone with his thoughts for the first time ever. As he entered the room he saw his brother and sister. Or were they? The room was spinning and Gaara felt unwell. As he slumped down on the floor he could only ask his siblings one question.

"Am I real?"

Naruto didn't think much of Gaara's hasty exit. He, too, disliked much of the philosophy he read as he found it ponderous and unsuited to falsification. When his ojisan posed that problem to Naruto he thought about it for several days. When he finally responded, he said that whether reality was simulated or not was moot as it was real to him, as he had no way to break free. As such, it made sense to simply accept this shared reality, as he lacked the ability to stop things existing with just his own volition. He recalled his ojisan smiling and telling him it was a good answer.

Now, however, a different sort of philosophical problem vexed Naruto and he wished it was easily resolved as the last. The block likely held the key to progress that had been long delayed. But, conceptually, he simply couldn't accept the premise. Things either are or they are not. The cat cannot be both alive and dead simply because no one knows it. That's not how things work. He wondered how his father managed to accept such absurdity.

* * *

"As I am sure you know, it is time to nominate teams to participate in the Chunin Exams," Hiruzen stated to the room of collected Jounin-Sensei. Each high ninja listened to their leader while also looking at the stats of their students, the security checks having progressed enough to give even the genin their own fuin bracelets. Because Hiruzen had objective measures he was able to instill some baseline requirements. If the genin weren't at a certain level of fitness and mental capability then they could not be considered and those Jounin-Sensei weren't invited to the meeting.

The Hokage was somewhat surprised all three of the rookie teams managed to meet the cutoff, though Team Ten just barely passed. Still, it would be a good showing if several clan heirs did well in the exams. And, of course, his grandson. He hadn't gone this long without seeing Naruto-kun and the old man missed their talks. As he waited for each Jounin to announce their decision he noticed hs ninja, while giving him due attention, were all shooting looks at Kakashi. Hiruzen could not blame them as the infamous tardy ninja arrived early.

Curbing his tardiness was one of the many changes Kakashi displayed since his last mission and return. Tsunade, using Naruto's initial report, confirmed that Kakashi was experience a chemical imbalance but not just from the Sharingan. Kakashi was clinically depressed and by all appearances had been for years. Tsunade lost it. The procedure for diagnosing depression was well known and while mental illness was a taboo among the general ninja corps, the same should hold true for medics. After figuring out a treatment regimen for Kakashi she mandated a continuing education seminar for the entire medical staff on psychiatric medicine.

While Kakashi was still adjusting to the medication the man was becoming an active participant in his life again. Training a little more, going out with the other rookie sensei (and Gai) and no longer standing in front of the memorial stone were just a few of the behavioral alterations. Hiruzen was glad to see the young man doing better but wished he'd been more diligent in getting Kakashi help instead of letting him work through his grief. That had been the wrong way.

Hiruzen resumed his focus, not surprised the rookie sensei nominated their teams. It makes sense to take advantage of the home field advantage and while HIruzen doubted all of them were ready to be Chunin, the exams could highlight areas they needed to work on and introduce them to a level of pressure and conflict they may not have been exposed to. The Sandaime dismissed all present, save Kakashi.

"Naruto-kun returns today. Whichever iteration of your team shows up you have necessary dispensation," the Sarutobi leader informed his ninja.

"Understood, Hokage-sama. I highly doubt the entirety of my team won't show up," Kakashi reassured.

"And about that other thing?"

"I still believe you do not need to pull Naruto from Team 7 permanently. They don't have the cohesion of other teams but they can develop it given time and if Naruto makes Chunin he can lead them as a triad while I do something else."

"I understand, Kakashi. It gives no pleasure to do this to your team but with Orochimaru's interest and the Akatsuki I can't have Naruto distracted with interpersonal matters. It also may be a bad idea to have our Jinchuriki with the sole loyal Uchiha on one team. They make prime assassination targets, especially as Naruto's heritage is becoming more known."

"I'd die before I let something happen to them."

"Admirable but I'd rather avoid that being necessary. You have many years ahead of you, Kakashi. Your task is to look for reasons to live, not die. Not until your old and can do so surrounded by those that love you. That's a good death."

"Yes, Hokage-sama," Kakashi answered, leaving once dismissed.

Kurenai arrived at Team 8's training grounds, instantly gaining her students' attention. Hinata and Shino waited silently but her brash student couldn't help but speak. "You're late, Kurenai-sensei," he remarked while petting Akamaru.

"Yes, I am, Kiba-kun. Hokage-sama requested an audience with me and several others. During this meeting, I nominated you for the Chunin Exams, here are your forms," she explained.

"Whoa, really? You think we're ready to be Chunin?" Kiba asked. Kurenai had anticipated the question and was therefore ready with an answer.

"Do I believe any of you are ready to fulfill the totality of the responsibilities of being a Chunin? No. But if that were the standard most people wouldn't be Chunin until their twenties. It is a position you learn and grow into. Do I believe each of you have some of the skills necessary to allow you to survive and flourish as Chunin, yes. And I certainly believe you have the skills to do well during these exams. I would not have nominated you if I didn't." Each student nodded, feeling more confident about attempting the promotional exam.

"Now, you each have a week to decide if this is for you and if you decide it is not there is no harm done. I will tell you, each rookie team and Maito Gai's Team 9 has also been nominated so keep that in mind. Any questions?" Her three students answered in the negative. "Well, no training or missions for the rest of the week. Follow the instructions on the applications if you decide to entire." Saying her piece, Kurenai departed.

Asuma's arrival awoke his two ninja and he almost decided against telling them about the nomination. Ino was hanging upside down from a tree branch doing sit ups. Her transformation had been surprising and gratifying. Seeing how much she'd progressed in just a few months made him wish he'd pushed them harder from the start. On paper, the Sarutobi knew his was the weakest team in terms of straight combat but he hoped their teamwork would pull them through.

"You've been nominated for the Chunin Exams. They start in exactly one week. If you want to participate follow the directions on the applications."

"Troublesome, do we have to?"

"No. This is optional, Shikamaru but most Genin consider it an honor to be nominated. Especially as a rookie. Team activities are suspended for the time being. Good luck."

Sasuke barely paid attention to Kakashi when he informed them about the Chunin Exams or that Naruto would be back to take it with them. He didn't care about a nominal promotion, rising up the ranks wasn't one of his goals. But the exams could show how much he's improved or challenge him to grow even stronger. He knew they were not a normal team and there was a reason Naruto was the one pulled away, it was a sign the Hokage, Kakashi or both thought Naruto was so ahead of them that they held him back. That realization burned the Uchiha to his core as his pride was one of the few pillars he had to prop himself up.

That very pride had been shaken during his time as a genin. Not only Naruto outshining him but also almost dying. That he'd been willing to sacrifice his life and his dream for a teammate didn't surprise him but it put into sharp relief if he didn't get better quickly he may not live to face Itachi. A part of him wondered if being on a team had made him less diligent, more comfortable with the status quo. He had to get revenge, to bring Itachi to justice. But he would not become like Itachi in order to do so. That meant he had to get stronger and the Chunin Exams was just the place to do so.

Sakura was in the midst of a surprising revelation of her own. Not until Kakashi-sensei assure them that Naruto would take the exam with them did she feel confident enough to truly try. She didn't think she was ready to be a Chunin but felt she could do well with her entire team. It was weird, her feelings for Sasuke-kun had been such strong motivation that it, initially puzzled her. But she was too smart to stay unaware, conclusions coming as swiftly as the questions that spurred them.

She admired Sasuke-kun. Believed in him. But she also realized his mentality was one that took on challenges head on, committed to overcoming them with his abilities. This meant if you weren't up to his level then his way could leave you out of your depths. She didn't think he was indifferent to her welfare, him jeopardizing his life to save her is testament to that. He simply didn't consider the consequences of his approach.

Naruto was different. He looked for ways to make every situation more favorable to him, to the team. His primary weapon was his intellect. Problems were broken down, recontextualized or reshaped until he had the greatest advantage. She felt much more secure with that approach. He wasn't weak but he didn't seek every instance to prove his strength. Sasuke-kun may lay down his life for her but Naruto would do his best to make sure it didn't come to that and ultimately, she didn't want a martyr. The two boys presented such stark paths to be a ninja and she didn't feel she was close to either, skill wise. But where Sasuke-kun's way made that reality glaringly obvious, Naruto's was more inclusive. She didn't feel useless just not quite there, yet. She hoped Sasuke-kun would listen to Naruto if the situation called for it. She hoped she'd have the courage to back Naruto if it came to it.

Baki waited for his check-in to be completed. Waited and watched. Konoha had a reputation for being the good and kind shinobi village. It was pure hogwash, uncut propaganda meant to drum up business. Every other ninja village knew this, accepted it as holy writ that Konoha lies. And yet, it is so easy to be lured by that lie, seduce by its simple charms. Baki had been. So worried about Jiraiya he didn't even pay attention to the younger ninja with him. But how could he know Jiraiya was assigned a team of demons?

Oh, those blank faces hid their true nature well but Baki was a seasoned veteran. He'd seen evil, done worse and knew the depths of human depravity had no bottom. But at least everything he'd ever done gave his victims a fighting chance. Not these devils. One conversation is all it took to turn his violently psychopathic Jinchuuriki into a dyed in the wool nihilist unconvinced anything around him mattered. Baki would never forget the experience of being pulled from sleep by a wild eyed Gaara informing him God was dead and that they had collective killed him. He didn't even know Gaara believed in god. Broken. The blond devil broke Gaara.

Then there was Kankuro. The once cocksure youth was depressed over the kunoichi. In what must have been the most interesting deployment of a honeypot in shinobi history, the girl managed to seduce his student without actually showing the least bit of interest in him. This, too, had something to do with the blond one. Constantly, Kankuro would look at the object of his affection then at the small blond before asking Temari, "Him?" in total denial. She would nod and Kankuro would sink further into his depression. The blond had to be some T&I prodigy meant to mindfuck the competition before the exams. Those cold blue eyes were reminiscent of something and Baki wondered if he buried the memory because it was simply too evil to remember.

Lastly, was Temari. His sane, strong, dedicated, and sane kunoichi. She often made him proud, made her village proud. Baki thought she'd escaped the impact of the three devils. Her mental fortitude too high, her will too strong to fall for their games. But he'd been wrong. As the blond, manipulation prodigy, worked her over right before his eyes.

"Temari-san," Naruto said, looking at the Suna kunoichi in the eyes. He really liked her eyes.

"Yes?"

"I am aware you are here for the Chunin Exams. Should you find yourself with a little free time would you like to visit with me?" he asked. Temari was a little surprised by the question, she hadn't thought she'd made that good of an impression when they talked. The Wind Mistress didn't know why but she looked over to Haku to gauge her reaction and smothered a frown at what she saw. The not all that pretty girl was smiling. Smiling as if it didn't matter if the Suna ninja spent time with Naruto, she couldn't possibly compete with little miss perfectly symmetrical over there. The silent arrogance was galling to Temari. Before she could answer she was stopped by a screaming child.

"Niiiii-chhhhhhhaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnnn!" Konohamaru yelled as he dove toward his brother, being caught midair. "You're back!"

"Yes, as I informed you I would be," Naruto answered and then positioned Kono-chan onto his back. "Sorry, Temari-san, this is my little brother," Naruto explained. And Baki didn't bother to fight his grimace. Oh, the Monkey God was thorough. Using Temari's strained relationship with Gaara to manipulate her was low and by all appearances it worked. He saw the wistful look on her face, the unspoken regrets that pulled at his own sense of shame.

"Oh, so this is him?"

"Yes. Kono-chan, this is Temari of Suna."

"Hi, Temari-san! I'm Konohamaru. Your eyes are really pretty, kore."

Baki didn't see how the interaction concluded, having to follow Jiraiya to the Hokage's Tower but he didn't need to. He hadn't prepared his team for this kind of combat, he didn't think he had to. Not yet. He'd been wrong. Baki wouldn't know how correct he was until hours later in their hotel room when Gaara, waving around an infamous orange book demanded they have the talk. He really needed that vacation.


	16. Chapter 16

Baki stood over his students. The past seven days had been trying. He hadn't been prepared for the mind games Konoha employed and he took full responsibility, just as he was responsible for minimizing the effects. The results had been minimal. The easiest? Temari.

The girl had some lingering insecurities around her forced isolation. In another context, she would be quite popular and highly sought after but she barely had any friends and no boy had ever expressed interest. While, objectively, she understood she was not to blame for her situation, there were still those quiet whispers in her mind telling her she simply wasn't pretty enough, good enough to garner attention. When the little, blond demon gave her a taste and a rival Temari lept without realizing she'd even done so.

He explained as much and was confident she understood until he saw her leave their hotel room twice, each time wearing the faintest hint of make-up and dressed for an evening out. There was also her asking him if he thought her eyes were enchanting. Baki explained he was old enough to be her father and in no way wanted to answer that question.

Next was Kankuro. The boy had taken to stalking the little, blond demon. Baki advised him it was a waste of time, that he wasn't in love with the honeypot he was exposed to. It was a distraction and if he were going to gather intel he should try to find out information about the competition, not some Chunin brat. Kankuro disregarded him, needing to uncover the mystery of the boy that vexed him. After several days of following the boy, Kankuro concluded that there was something about that kid and "hot broads".

While most of Kankuro's information was useless, the one relevant bit of information sent Baki into a full on panic attack. Tsunade Senju was back in the village. Two of the three Sannin resided in the village. And whereas Jiraiya could be reasoned with, Tsunade was a calamity made flesh. He truly considered turning missing-nin. Only for an instance but he had to at least ponder the option. He didn't want to be exploded by a punch. Was that so unreasonable? Knowing both her and Jiraiya were in the village caused Baki to start smoking again after ten years of abstaining.

Lastly, was Gaara. In truth, Baki didn't even know where to begin. The Jinchuuriki didn't behave like a psychotic all the time. But he also felt all of reality was a meaningless void you endured until death claimed you. What was the Suna man supposed to work toward here? The only thing that did interest Gaara was, "supple, ripe fruit" as they were the path to something real, even if it was fleeting. Baki told the boy that killing his enemies was akin, an experience shared between individuals. Gaara said mother agreed and Baki left it at that.

So, here he was. Top man of Suna. Proud Jounin. The supposed leader of the invasion's vanguard and his team is mindfucked two ways from Sunday while his nerves are so frayed he's not sure he cares anymore. The actual invasion might be less stressful, Baki reasoned. He sent his team off, knowing they were going to do what they were going to do and he reported to the Sensei lounge to watch the first exam.

* * *

Several moments later, it was Kakashi standing over his team. _His_ team. It was as if he were seeing them with clear eyes… eye for the first time. His kunoichi, a great amount of talent if she;d only find her path. He sometimes feels bad for Sakura, cursed to be normal on a team of unusuals. Their problematic C-ranks had given her a false impression of her skills. She was better than she realized and he hoped the exams would show her that so she could move forward, confidently.

Next was Uchiha Sasuke. What many would consider the talent, the future leader, the one meant to stand above his other teammates due to his natural genius. While Kakashi never bothered to call him out he knew even Sasuke, deep down, believed this too. He didn't fault the Sharingan wielder. So many of the shinobi arts came easily to him. Smart, strong, fast with an admirable work ethic. Slowly, Sasuke was being moved from his singular obsession with killing Itachi. Their last mission had him backslide but progress was still being made. It would take time. As more and more events humbled and matured the Uchiha scion, he would come to see the value of his teammates. These exams would hopefully be a step in the right direction.

Lastly, the chosen one. Chibi. Uzumaki Naruto. Kakashi knew he had to keep Naruto on his team as the fun was just about to begin. Once Chunin, Kakashi could teach the Uzumaki so much cool stuff. Like how to drop a target in a crowded room and be gone before the body's temperature fell. Or how to remove a bra with just your teeth, the same way Minato-sensei taught him. In truth, Kakashi should not train genin. His time in ANBU had warped his sense of everything. But Chibi got him and Kakashi didn't want to miss out on all the great things they could do. But if this were their last harray then Kakashi was glad he suggested an alteration to Naruto's uniform. Everyone would know he was the student of Hatake Kakashi.

As his trio of students looked at him expectantly, Kakashi cleared his mind and decided to give them a pep talk, "Don't embarrass me," he said with an eye smile. Two of his students looked put out at his shitty speech but Chibi chuckled. Kakashi rubbed the blond's hair in a show of appreciation and shunshin'd away. Chibi got him because Chibi was cool.

* * *

Naruto trailed behind his teammates as they entered the classroom. It was common for Genin teams to have a "leader" from the trio of low ninja and while Kakashi-sensei never designated who that would be on their team, Sasuke-san was easier to manage if he were treated as such. Walking ahead of them, even as he seemed indifferent, was one of those things. As the Uzumaki walked through the door he was instantly hit with something he knew to be killing intent. He didn't really feel threatened. After having a similar experience when he was little while watching a mother bear protect her cub, Naruto asked his Oji-san want that sensation was.

His Oji-san went on to explain killing intent and Naruto simply didn't understand the point. It gave your location away and marked you as a threat. His Oji-san said it was a way to demoralize lesser ninja, to weaken their resolve as they became overwhelmed. To Naruto, it just felt like someone decided to scream in his face. Hardly a thing to be demoralized over but a good way to receive a punch on the nose. His Oji-san had to explain annoyance that day.

Naruto quickly dismissed the sensation and the poor attempt at intimidation. He couldn't track the logic of enemies reinforcing they were, in fact, enemies but he left the unknown genin to their weirdness. His team was already talking to their cohort and Naruto would join but he had to make a quick stop.

"Hello, Temari-san," Naruto greeted. Her brothers frowned at him and Naruto wondered if this was similar to Ino-chan's dad. As Tsunade-sensei said it wasn't really his business, then Naruto speaking to Temari-san wasn't theirs. He dismissed them as he awaited a response.

"Hi, Naruto. You didn't tell me you were competing in the exams. That wasn't very nice," she teased.

"I figured with Kankuro-san following me you already knew and were attempting to gain intel. I felt no need to restate what I assumed you already knew," Naruto responded, ignoring the puppet user's shock at having been discovered. "Well, I must depart," Naruto said. He joined his team, the sounds of Inuzuka Kiba-san bragging about his, and his team's, training meeting his ears before his arrival. The dog user saw Naruto's approach and felt the need to rope him into his spiel.

"Oh, if it isn't Naruto. Hey, buddy, almost didn't see you there. Hope you're ready to get your butt kicked," Kiba taunted. Naruto understood the boy liked to engage in such exchanges and Hinata-chan had requested Naruto befriend her teammates when given the chance. But he wasn't incredibly familiar with the formulation of these kinds of boasts. He understood they should elevate the speaker over the target and not be gratuitous in their description. Naruto would have really preferred to just stare at the boy until he stopped talking so Naruto could pet Akamaru and then find his seat but he'd all but promised Hinata-chan.

"Hello, Kiba-san. As you lack Hinata-chan's battle prowess and Shino-san's intellect your challenging me would only be one by definition; a futile attempt with one pre-selected outcome. I hope to embarrass you enough that Akamaru wishes to reside with me afterward as he seems like a good dog in need of a quality partner."

"Dude, what the hell?" Kiba asked after a moment of silence. Naruto looked around to see several faces displaying an emotion he couldn't peg.

"I thought we were exchanging playful jibes in a show of camaraderie. Is that not what we were doing?"

"I believe your jibe, as you called it, was too thorough and much closer to the truth than a lighthearted attempt should be. In the future, I recommend you stay more general as to not cause offense," Shino explained.

"Thank you, Shino-san."

"You're already being troublesome, Naruto," Shikamaru observed. Naruto eyed the Nara as he decidedly did not like the boy. During the academy, when Naruto attempted to befriend the Nara and his Akimichi friend the future shadow user simply said it'd be too troublesome as if Naruto's very being was simply onerous by its mere existence. Naruto didn't like that feeling. Sure, many of the villagers ignored him or whispered when they thought they couldn't hear him but few ever verbalized he was some kind of annoyance. Naruto never bothered to converse with the Nara again outside of the mandates of the academy, which were few and far between.

"So is a tracheal rupture, Nara-san." Any retort Shikamaru was going to have that response was stopped by Ino's acknowledgment that Naruto was there, having finally come back from Sasuke Land.

"Naruto-kun!" she exclaimed, not having seen the Uzumaki since his departure from the village. "Why do you let Billboard Brow hang all over Sasuke-kun? I thought we were friends," Ino said with a faux whine.

"Hello, Ino-chan. You look well."

"Don't I? And look at you with the face mask. Dressing like your sensei?"

"Hatake-sensei suggested it for the exams, said I would look cool."

"Mission accomplished… if only I could get you out of those orange jackets," Ino lamented. He'd be open to wearing clothes she suggested but his mission outfit always included orange. Ino thought the boy could be a real cutie if he just let go of the fascination he had with that color, it simply didn't compliment him or make his eyes pop.

"I like orange."

"I like orange, too. I also like your whisker marks. I hope you won't cover them up permanently," Hinata said, finally joining the conversation. She had to take some calming breaths when she saw Naruto's new alteration. That Hatake bastard was messing with the universal cuteness quotient and she promised to have a talk with him later. Those whiskered cheeks were hers and not to be hidden away! The rookies continued to talk until a tall, stern looking man entered the room and ordered they get to their assigned seats. It was time for the first exam to begin.

* * *

In the sensei lounge Baki watched as the source of all his anxiety walked into the testing area. He, irrationally, wanted to send a wind blade through the screen in hopes it'd somehow cut the little demon. Every village uses Chunin plants, that was nothing of note. But in just a few moments the blond devil tried to mindfuck his team again. Trying to extend his seduction of Temari, making Gaara feel invisible (thereby furthering his belief that he wasn't real and none of this had meaning) and convincing Kankuro any intel the boy gathered was just one long manipulation and a sincere waste of time. Konoha, Baki believed, was a nest of vipers that came for your sanity so you'd do their dirty work for them.

As he watched Ibiki Morino, the demon's likely Sensei, enter the room he quickly realized this exam was going to be about mental fortitude. Ninja life was cruel but no other village exposed genin to their chief torturer. He needed a smoke, he was in a village of sick fucks that like to torture kids and then teach those kids how to torture other kids. As the exam got underway, it didn't take long for most to understand they were meant to cheat. Most of the attempts were only passable if you remembered they were genin. His team was doing fine, so that's all that really mattered.

He did notice Naruto, name given to imply he's human, stared at the head proctor for several minutes before leaving his chair and approaching the man. That confused Baki, a Chunin plant shouldn't call attention to himself. Then Baki heard something that made him pale.

"Kakashi, what is your student doing?" a feminine voice asked. The boy, alleged, was the student of Hatake Kakashi? The Hatake Kakashi? Last living student of the kill happy Yondaime Hokage? The boy, or so he appeared, was an actual genin? And this village sicced him on his competition like an assassin's blade? Baki really needed a smoke.

"Something cool, Kurenai. Something cool," was Kakashi's response but Baki was long past caring about the conversation. The "genin"because Baki didn't believe a low ninja would be assigned to a Sannin for any reason, began an exchange with Ibiki. He started by placing down an envelope, which Ibiki picked up and inspected the contents. After that, the exchange continued as for several minutes the two talked about something.

At one point, Ibiki held up three fingers. The blond shook his head in the negative and held up two. The large man relented and the blond put down another, fatter envelope and two baggies of what appeared to be some kind of snack mix. Ibiki handed over a slip of paper, shook the blond's hand and then ordered no one to leave their seats unless expelled or otherwise given permission.

"Did he just bribe Ibiki for the answers?" the son of the Monkey God asked.

Baki turned to the Konoha Jounin now, needing confirmation for what he just saw. He watched as Kakashi favored the entire room with an eye smile and said, "Yes, yes he did."

"That is pretty cool," the blonde Kumo Jounin responded before really looking at the objection of discussion. "Mabui-san, isn't that the boy you ran into a few days ago?"

"Yes, I believe that is him," she answered with a slight blush. Baki recognized the two women, Samui and Mabui, two top kunoichi of Kumo. What could the beguiling devil had done to an experienced ninja to cause that reaction? Baki put it out of his mind, hoping that if the "genin" were focused on Kumo he'd finally leave his team alone and maybe the invasion vanguard might start acting like it again. The exam continued and Ibiki ratcheted up the pressure until no one was unaffected… except _him_.

Then, the real mind fuck happened. Ibiki threatened to make them lifelong genin if they continued on with the final question and failed. In no other context would any of them believe that nonsense. It was such an obvious lie, Baki thought, that he'd might as well have said he'd name the next Tsuchikage. But the genin, subjected to a type of psychological pressure they'd never experienced didn't have it in them to reject the false premise. Too many were simply too scared to continue and relieved they had an out. Ibiki's lie didn't matter because all they wanted was an escape. Baki could appreciate the tradecraft, acknowledging that Morino was an artist.

As the silence stretched but the time for a decision dwindled, more and more teams left. By the time Ibiki called it, not even half the teams were left. Before the large man could finish his explanation a kunoichi blurred through the window, announcing herself as the sexy and single Anko Mitirashi. Baki, once again, wondered by the exams were proctored by Konoha's top torturers. That couldn't have been an accident.

Baki saw the son of the Sandaime walk toward a patio while grabbing for his smokes. The Suna ninja was filled with the desire to join him. If they were in Suna, he'd have no problem but outside the village is different. It can signal weakness, a lack of confidence in his team and relief they managed to pass the first test. But erecting a mask was just as revealing to the keen and studied eye. Appearing calm and being calm were not the same. Appearing confident can read like insecurity. Even what you choose to disguise you reveals something crucial, patterns of thought or self-acknowledged weak points.

Baki didn't think he'd be in the game, too. He'd allowed himself to believe Konoha had gone soft resting on the reputation of a few powerful ninja. He was underprepared; caught flat footed and trying his best not to overcorrect. He just couldn't shake the feeling Konoha knew more than they were letting on and Suna was marching into a carefully laid trap.

* * *

"You'll either hunt or you'll die, Fatty!" Anko answered the Akimichi. It was rude and unprofessional but Sakura was more focused on something else. Her Uzumaki teammate seemed off… tense. She'd never seen him tense. He hadn't been initially, not until the proctor gave them the scrolls. She questioned if she really were seeing what she believed she was, it wasn't like it was a one-eighty transformation. Naruto seemed tense for him, his eyes seemed a little harder. Maybe he was finally nervous about the exams since he likely couldn't cheat on this one. Maybe the receiving of the scrolls made it real to him.

The proctor had explained this next exam. Each team was handed two scrolls, a normal sized one labeled either heaven or earth and a small, black scroll we are only to open once inside the forest. As Team 7 walked to their positions, Sakura wanted to ask Naruto if he were alright but didn't know if that'd make things worse. She knew he didn't process things like she did and maybe he was in the middle of dealing with it.

"One last thing; TRY NOT TO DIE!" Anko yelled as the siren's blared. The second exam had begun. Anko watched the genin squads rush into the notorious forest with an anticipatory smile. It only grew when she sensed someone behind her, his landing having been impressively quiet for his rank. She turned to be greeted by Naruto and a fuinjutsu array spreading on the ground, trapping her. Body rigid and paralyzed but smile just as wide she looked at the kunai wielding genin.

"Where is Anko-chan?"

"Kukuku, how did you know I wasn't really her?" Orochimaru asked. Naruto wouldn't answer the imposter but he knew Anko-chan well enough to know she never called him Naruto-kun. Nor did she insult people based on their physical appearance but this fake didn't need to know that. Naruto placed his kunai to the fraud's left femoral artery.

"I will not ask again."

"She's in the forest with me, Naruto-kun. The real me. She put up quite the fight. I was so very proud of my former student, until I saw my mark had been removed from her. I'll have to punish her for allowing that to happen but maybe you can get to her in time. Maybe."

"Tell me where you are and I'll be on my way."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. No, see this is the problem, Naruto-kun. You have the purest, most wonderful gift but you don't honor it. You don't enjoy it and I simply can't accept that. No, if you want to save Anko-chan you're going to have to find me. This is now my test and I don't grade on a scale. I trust you will impress me, Naruto-kun. Poor Anko-chan might not survive if you don't."

Naruto pushed the kunai into the artery, dispelling the clone. He then dissolved into a cloud of smoke revealing himself to had been a clone as well.

* * *

Back in the Forest of death, the rookie Konoha teams, plus Team Gai were trying to absorb the information found on the black scroll. There was confusion, fear, concern and other strong emotions being provoked by the document. With Team Gai, Lee and Neji looked at Tenten in confusion. None of them knew why this would be happening or if everything written was true. Over on Team 10, Shikamaru was trying to come up with the best way to get out of the forest as fast as possible. The danger level had increased a hundredfold, as far as he was concerned. Team 8 simply stared at the blood thirst grin on Hinata's face as she muttered about the "lioness going on the hunt." However, it was Team 7 that had the most dumbfounded members as Sasuke and Sakura watched Naruto in disbelief.

Even before his clone expelled, once he got the scroll from a silent and wide-eyed Sakura, Naruto changed out of his orange jacket and into his vest. He'd altered it so he could carry his two escrima sticks, a tanto across the small of his back Sai showed him how to use and a kyoketsu shoge he learned how to wield from his summons. The front of the vest had two sealing scrolls on either peck and a number of storage seals containing surplus weapons. He took off his thigh holster, opening the top.

"Sakura-san, put your thumb here and channel some chakra," Naruto requested. She did just that and was finally brought back to reality when she felt Naruto's hand on her upper thigh. Sakura blushed but fought back the scream, not wanting to alert anyone to their location. Naruto had his holster strapped to her in no time.

"Sakura-san, that holster contains my emitter disks and they've been primed to your chakra signature. Tiger seal causes an explosion. Rat, paralysis. Snake, flash bang. Bird, snapback. The larger the pulse, the greater the effect and the longer the delay. Their edges are incredible sharp so throw them like you would a shuriken as they can penetrate."

"Why are you explaining this like you won't be with us?"

"I won't. The person who hijacked the exam has my friend and I'm going to get her."

"Then we'll go get her together, Naruto," Sakura countered, only to receive a shake of Naruto's head.

"He's far beyond anyone in this exam and to even have a chance I'll have to use some really destructive techniques you haven't seen so I can't anticipate your placement or reactions. Besides, someone needs to get to the Jounin Sensei and alert them. Sasuke-san and you are good enough to do that."

"Sasuke-kun, you can't agree with him can you?"

"I… I don't know what to think," the Uchiha said. He'd just been hit with some mind altering information.

"Are you sure you can do this?"

"No. I will very likely die in the attempt but that knowledge frees me from certain limitations. You two there reintroduces them."

"If you think you'll die then why go?"

"This man has likely killed my friend but on the off chance he has not I must play his game to have any chance to extract her. If he has already killed her I will do all I can to kill him. I'll die in the attempt. I am confident you two will complete the exam and make it to the central tower. Please inform them Orochimaru of the Sannin is in the forest and has a potential hostage named Mitirashi Anko. I have delayed as long as I wish to," the Uzumaki said as he started to walk away from his team for what could be the final time.

Sakura couldn't help but think he seemed so much taller right then, shoulders a little more broad. She readjusted slightly and the new weight on her thigh drew her attention to one of his, possible, final acts. Even as he steeled himself for an impossible task he left her with the means to better protect herself. He cared. She wanted to make him promise to come back alive, to somehow win. But she wouldn't dishonor these last few moments. He would endure, no false promises were needed. She'd simply believe this wasn't the end.

He vanished into the trees, leaving two thirds of Team 7 to try and make sense of the last several minutes. Such a radical change in their expectations, neither paid attention to the scroll that seemingly started it all. The little black slip, now discarded on the forest floor. Neither having gotten a chance to ask about the most startling revelation as the scroll read:

 _As an added stipulation to this year's exam, four Konoha genin have been selected as VIPs. If you manage to kill one of these VIP's and show proof of death in the Central Tower you will be rewarded accordingly._

 _Tenten of Team Gai- 1.5 million Ryo_

 _Yamanaka Ino, Heiress of the Yamanaka Clan- 2.5 million Ryo_

 _Hyuuga Hinata, Heiress of the Hyuuga Clan- 4 million Ryo_

 _Uzumaki Naruto- Son of the Yondaime Hokage, the "Yellow Flash" Namikaze Minato- 10 million Ryo_

* * *

 **So, I blurb exam one as it can only be so interesting and start exam two. I have to admit, I have been excited to get to this point. Hmm, I wonder what this Naruto in IDGAF mode will do.**


	17. Chapter 17

"T-this, this isn't right," Tenten said in disbelief. Her voice uncharacteristically soft. There was no way her village would put a price on her or her fellow ninja's heads. Something was wrong, very wrong. Even in the darkened forest, surrounded by trees that seemed to stretch to the heavens she couldn't mistake what was written on that scroll.

"I agree, this is most unyouthful. Should we alert the proctor?" Lee asked, his manner much more subdued than normal. Neji activated his Byakugan and then shook his head.

"Once we agreed to participate in the second exam any help they'd give us was gone."

"But-"

"I agree, Tenten. Something is amiss but the Chunin exams are not minor things. The Great Five and even the minor shinobi villages must agree on their rules. No outside help or contact. Unless the proctor or the Hokage tells us the exam is over we must proceed as if this was part of the plan."

"Neji, there is a price on my head," Tenten barked.

"Yes, for this exam you are in the Bingo Book. Or, that's a feasible enough complication for us to endure."

"But the four selected out of all available participants? They choose the four friends and no one else? And reveal Naruto-kun is the son of the Yondaime? That is not random selection," Lee argued. "Someone is targeting or sending a message to one or several of the people on that scroll."

"Likely Naruto, he has the highest price and the most damning information shared. Someone wants him dead," Tenten said.

"Or motivated. Either way, we must complete the exam and get to the central tower. It's our best chance to resolve things or find help," Neji concluded. His teammates nodded and all took to the trees. Silently, Tenten hoped her new friends would be ok and come out of this whole.

* * *

It wasn't supposed to be like this the nameless genin thought. His team and he were going to do their village proud, show up Konoha and prove that smaller villages were not to be dismissed. He believed fate had smiled upon him when he learned the Yellow Flash had a son and he was in these exams. He remembered the short, quiet blond. The kid didn't look that tough.

He stared into the sky, forced to lie on his back as his vision continued to darken. He was cold, so cold. It was the only thing he could feel. He hadn't sensed his assailant until the blade penetrated his back, severing his spinal cord. He couldn't even see his killer but could hear the screams of his teammates and then silence. He tried to will his body to do anything, for his consciousness to remain but he was powerless. He couldn't even flinch when the ground below him started to move or when a pair of hands started to pull him into the earth.

Naruto took the headbands of the ninja he'd just assassinated. He created a trio of clones, each transforming into a member of the fallen squad and putting on the corresponding headbands. This way, any trackers could still trace their scent and would be less suspicious should they run into the disguised clones. He'd already created dozens of clones to spread out into the forest, running into a team personally had just been an unhappy accident. He didn't like playing Orochimaru's game but his Oji-san kept the secret of his heritage to protect him. Naruto wouldn't allow that to be undone. It may be his last act but he'd make sure there were very few who could share the information disseminated by that traitor.

A quick glow of his finger tip, touching just behind his ear and his communicator seal was reapplied. At his Oji-san's request he'd removed it for the exams. At the time, Naruto said it was a pointless gesture as he memorized all his seals but his Oji-san said it was necessary so he complied. Seeking outside help meant he'd be disqualified but it didn't matter. He sent out an alert but received no response. He knew Haku was out of the village on UzuNami business and was grateful. She was strong but refusing to kill in this scenario would have put her at risk. He assumed Jiraiya and or Sai, however, would still be here. Quickly opting for an alternative Naruto summoned a small, red toad.

"Kosuke-san," Naruto greeted.

"Hey there, Naruto. What can I do for you?"

"I need you to go to the Hokage's Tower and warn my Oji-san that Orochimaru has infiltrated the Forest of Death and taken a Mitirashi Anko-chan hostage."

"And you're going to stay here until he comes with reinforcements?" Kosuke asked.

"No. He claims this is a challenge for me, if I don't come or come with back-up then Anko-chan will be killed, if she hasn't already."

Kosuke didn't try to persuade his newest summoner any further and simply took off at top speed. Once gone, Naruto activated his tracker seals and saw two blips just minutes away. It meant Orochimaru had at least two of those elites with him but Naruto didn't know which ones. He noted that as an oversight that would need to be corrected.

Naruto drew blood from his thumb one more time, summoning two toads; Gamashiro and Gamashira. A brother-sister pair that were just a little taller than him, Shiro was green with white flecks and Shira was solidly orange. Naruto explained what he needed, a one and possibly two person extraction. The two were good at stealth and very fast. If given a proper opening they could get Anko and flee to safety. It wasn't a plan but was as good as he was going to do with limited information. Silently Naruto leapt into the trees and began his final approach.

* * *

"Orochimaru-sama," Kidomaru stated, gaining the attention of his master. The spideresque ninja sat atop his summons, there having not been enough time to fully fix his spine. "Someone stepped on one of my threads just south east of here." The alert was greeted with a smile.

"Kukuku, do we think our guest has arrived?" Orochimaru asked from the tree branch looking over his minions, Anko beside him constricted by a large, green snake. He watched his second in command clinch his prosthetic arm and frown.

"It's him, Orochimaru-sama," Kabuto answered, his belief guided solely by the phantom pain he felt in his arm anytime he thought of the Uzumaki. It was near unbearable now but he'd enjoy making the blond pay for mutilating him. It'd be slow and agonizing.

"Then why not welcome him, Kabuto-kun? Take Yoroi-kun and Misumi-kun with you," Orochimaru ordered and the three ninja departed without a word. "Aren't you excited, Anko-chan?" The Sannin asked his former student only receiving a death glare in response.

After five minutes of high speed travel Yoroi finally got the nerve to ask Kabuto a question, intimidated by the bloodlust the medic was projecting in waves. "Kabuto, what can you tell us this kid?"

"He utilizes seals and a passable intellect to make up for his lack of combat ability. The Sound Five and I took them down with little effort," Kabuto shared, "Now shut up before we give away our position," he ordered.

" _Too late_ ," a disembodied voice said just as the curved blade of the kyoketsu-shoge dug into Yoroi and pulled the traitor up, his screams filling the forest until moments later quiet returned. The remaining ninja of Team Kabuto were on high alert not willing to be caught off guard again. They heard someone descending and were ready to respond. Except there was nothing to respond to, it was the body of Yoroi falling, only stopping when one of the sturdy branches beside him broke his fall, kunai inserted into the back of his head.

"Lack of combat ability, huh?" Misumi asked, greatly annoying Kabuto. Their mutual slip in discipline made them ignorant to the flash bang array applied to their departed teammate. Blinding light and a piercing screech was the last sensations Misumi would experience before he felt the cold blade of the kyoketsu-shoge slide across his throat. Elevated in his position, the wound created an isolated blood shower within the forest of death, momentarily painting everything red as his life essence gushed out of him. He fell into the inky blackness of the forest floor, the canopy greedily consuming the sunlight.

Rapidly recovering from the distraction Kabuto peered at the genin at the end of their shared branch. The ringing just subsiding from his ears as he stood upright. The boy had a blank look, similar to Danzo's Root. That the Uzumaki mirrored the agents of the man he hated most only fueled his loathing for the blond. He activated his chakra scalpels, it taking a little more concentration for his prosthetic arm, and charged. Not even seeing the Uzumaki activate his own scalpels impeded his approach.

Thrust, parry, swing were the primary motions as the two medics engaged in mortal combat, even with their mutual healing factors they each realized this was a fight with slim margins for error. Slowly, Kabuto started to push his foe back, his experience and superior skill starting to overwhelm the smaller, younger ninja. One slash, narrowly missing the heart, a follow up nearing the lung. Victory was imminent, he could feel it in his bones. His confidence made him more aggressive and left him open for surprise.

Naruto, seeing his opening, used a variant of chakra sticking to rotate around the branch, going under and around and channeling the inertia into a leg sweep. Swiftly, Naruto kicked off the branch to gain some distance from the silver haired traitor. Kabuto, now in a crouched position channeled chakra into his limbs unwilling to allow his prey to escape. He dashed, blurring toward the still airborne Naruto prepared and excited to end his life. But the Uzumaki showed his pension for the unpredictable once more as a second, kunai wielding, Naruto charted a path intercepting Kabuto's own. Waylaid again, and out of position, Kabuto had to accept the kunai being dug into his replacement limb as he mercilessly dispatched his assailant.

Kabuto expected his attacker was a shadow clone and would dispel when he countered. He was correct. He assumed the multiple purpose ninja weapon stuck in his arm would as well.

He was wrong.

The clone dispelling did, however, undo the genjutsu cloaking the explosive note attached to the kunai. In a fit of primal instinct the medic attempted to pull the kunai out, getting his sole original hand on the handle right as it exploded. Once more Kabuto experienced being maimed by the Uzumaki. The blinding pain not even allowing him to scream as he hit the ground with a bone breaking thud. Through sheer force of will he managed to get to his knees. The explosion robbed him of his sight and hearing. He was healing but it wouldn't be fast enough.

Kabuto would never see the gleam. He would never heard the melody of swoosh and clang. Only for the briefest of moments would he feel the kyoketsu-shoge blade as it rocketed toward him, having been pulled from behind.

The real Naruto dropped the **Transparent Escape Jutsu** as he turned away from the fallen ninja. His clone placed an incendiary tag on the remains. While he doubted it, Naruto didn't want to know if the medic could grow half his head back. He leapt back into the trees taking no moment to savor his victory, his work wasn't done.

* * *

Orochimaru, his hostage, and his six remaining followers heard faint sounds of combat. It was after the final explosion had been heard that the Snake Sannin laughed, confusing several in attendance. "Kukuku, I don't think our initial wave fared very well against Naruto-kun. What should we do now?" he seemingly asked the air.

"Wait and attack him together?" Dosu cautiously put forward.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea, Dosu-kun. Keep impressing me and you might just earn a spot as one of my new elites. Sadly, only Kidomaru and Tayuya remain. Such a tragedy what befell Kimimaro, isn't that right Jugo-kun?" Orochimaru asked. The boy, sitting at the base of a tree with tags restraining him could only grunt.

"Orochimaru-sama, another of my threads were tripped," Kidomaru warned. He knew Kabuto wouldn't miss their placement. He couldn't say for the other two but he suspected it was the Uzumaki. He took several steadying breaths as he balanced on top of his summons.

* * *

" _Naruto, I have eyes on them. Seven hostiles in total and Anko is alive. Beat up but alive,_ " Gamashira reported.

" _Is there a multi-armed one with them?_ " Naruo asked.

" _Yes, he's strapped to a large spider,_ " she answered.

Naruto stayed silent as he attempted to cobble together a plan, responding once he had one. " _He's an archer. I need one of you on him and the other on Anko. When I've drawn his full attention enough to attack then neutralize him while the other snatches Anko. Once you secure the package flee and do not return. I have two clones on standby to provide medical attention to you or Anko-chan._ "

" _Bunta is going to kill us for this, Naruto_ " Shiro said, speaking for the first time.

" _I'm sorry for any trouble this causes you but I am short on time and options,"_

" _Well, no sense worrying about it now. I'm in position and spiderboy doesn't know,"_ said 'Shiro.

" _I'm in position,_ " 'Shira confirmed.

" _Acknowledged._ "

* * *

Orochimaru could sense a change in the atmosphere. Finely honed instincts, sharpened over the decades, told him something would be happening soon but he schooled his features. If his ninja couldn't tell then this would either be a learning experience or a fatal error. He didn't even let on that he made the two, cloaked, summons. They were good and it was no surprise Kidomaru hadn't noticed he was at risk but they weren't to the level of fooling a Sannin. The snake summoner wondered if he'd have to make Naruto break his contract with the toads once the blond joined him. The snakes were morally flexible but he found the toads to be rigid and sophomoric in their dispositions.

An issue for another day he reasoned as he watched Dosu sent hurtling via a flying knee. Two shuriken followed the downed boy but he reacted in time to block the projectiles with his melody arm, each metallic weapon sinking deeply into unorthodox ninja tool. Zaku wasted no time retaliating with his **Decapitating Airwaves** and all watched as the Uzumaki was cut down by the concentrated wind jutsu. Relieved and unobservant, it was only the interference of Suigetsu that saved Zaku as his claymore's blade intercepted Naruto's tanto, aiming to slash the unsuspecting genin's neck.

Naruto kicked Zaku away and engaged the Hozuki. It didn't take long to reveal Suigetsu was the superior with his chosen weapon, disarming the Uzumaki. As he went for the kill he was met with a **Rasengan** , only his **Water Transformation Jutsu** saved his life. Orochimaru watched as his future disciple had no time to process events as he dodged a pair of senbon, Kin finally having made a move. They missed but it was as she planned as Naruto's evasion put him right in the path of Dosu as he came in with a wide right hook.

Showing his superior reflexes, Naruto rotated around Dosu's strike, ending up behind the ninja and stabbing him with the senbon he'd retrieved from his vest. It was smooth but not enough, something even Dosu knew.

"Got you," the boy bragged as he heard his target fall to the ground likely suffering from a severe and sudden dizzy spell. While Dosu had time to boast, it would be his last act. The Sannin knew the placement of the senbon well. It was called _The Kiss of the Dragon_ , and Dosu would die in agony as the blood pooled to his brain before forcefully evacuating through his eyes, ears, nose and mouth. It was why he could only listen to Naruto fall, he was paralyzed and well on his way to death.

Orochimaru saw Kidomaru nock his bow, taking the downed Uzumaki as a perfect target. So concentrated on the one that crippled him he wasn't aware of the very real danger that stood to his side. More for entertainment than any impulse to save his former elite, Orochimaru flicked a piece of bark toward the archer. The speed made him duck, causing him to miss his shot while also receiving a cut above his right eye as simultaneously a dagger and a tongue sped toward his summons, dispelling it and grabbing Anko. Each toad took off as if their lives depended on it and Orochimaru had to admit that should the whim find him, they most certainly did.

* * *

" _Damn it, he got tipped off_ ," Shiro complained, incredibly displeased he failed in his assigned task.

" _It's fine, just alert me when you're clear_ ," Naruto said as he rolled from the claymore attempting to behead him. His dizziness was fast leaving him. It was fortuitous as he was able to perform a substitution with little discomfort; razor sharp wind blasts splintered the log that replaced him. Now hidden in the leaves again, Naruto took just a moment to allow the last of the damage to heal. He needed to finish up with the lower ninja quickly so he could concentrate. The swordsman did provide some difficulty as the boy could seeming avoid all physical damage. Naruto had an idea and most importantly, a pre-existing seal he could modify instead of inventing one on the spot.

The brief skirmish had provided him with some good intel on all but the one covered and restrained. It was time to go on the attack in earnest. Naruto's first target? The wind tunnel boy.

A shunshin placed him right in front of him. Zaku was already in the process of lifting his arms but his attack was stalled by Naruto's own. Kick to the inside of the right knee destabilized the Oto ninja. A back fist to the chin stunned him. A left cross to the neck filled him with blinding pain. A palm thrust to the chest finishing the striking portion as Naruto ended things with an one-armed, over the shoulder throw toward Kin. The kunoichi wisely jumped out of the way as the seal on Zaku glowed briefly before he was reduced to a pink mist. Kin avoided the blast but not the gore as she dropped to her knees in shock.

Naruto was on the move before Zaku ever exploded, the waterboy was next. Rasengan flaring, Naruto charged, near recklessly. Suigetsu, caught off guard by the blitz attempt, almost didn't have time to transform before the swirling chakra ball hit but he did just in time as his lower body became pure liquid. Smiling as he flowed around Naruto, he gripped his claymore prepared to end the fight. So committed to the killing strike he disregarded the bead tossed by Naruto.

"Kukuku" Orochimaru laughed as he watched the Hozuki become an ice sculpture. He wondered if he'd be able to thaw the boy but all plans were dashed when he watched Naruto perform a spinning heel kick and take off Suigetsu's head. The Oto leader was impressed Naruto managed a counter to Suigetsu's most useful ability. Kidomaru, knowing he was next, wisely used his next arrow to free Jugo from the last of his restraint seals.

Jugo, fully enraged and transformed, hit Naruto full on with a chakra jet boosted punch. The Uzumaki hit the trunk of a tree hard, nearly going through it. Jugo followed, his right hand transformed into an axe ready to cleave the murderer of his only friend. He swung and felt his weapon sink into something. Even enraged he knew it wasn't a human body. That his victim managed to substitute himself before he received justice only enraged Jugo more. He looked around and saw nothing. Heard nothing. Sensed nothing. It was infuriating!

Jugo hit the ground, causing fissures to appear. It wasn't his enemy but it was an outlet so he hit the ground again. And again. Hard enough to start to break up the ground. Lifting his hands to strike the ground once more Naruto's staff broke through, hitting Jugo in the throat. Annoyed more than hurt, the transformed ninja was going to bat the staff away but was stopped by a concentrated shock that coursed through his body.

His opponent stunned and paralyzed, Naruto returned above ground and swung the other end of his staff, hitting Jugo under his chin and lifting the taller boy off his feet. Both hands on his staff, Naruto attempted a downward strike but Jugo's recovery was too fast and he caught it as he glared menacingly at Naruto. Unbothered by the intercepted strike, Naruto detached half of his staff and hit Jugo on the outside of his knee, his stomach, inside elbow and finished with a strike across the jaw. Jugo dropped the other half of the staff as he fell to the ground.

"His transformation dropped!" Kidomaru shouted and Orochimaru understood his archer's shock.

Naruto, seeing his chakra network disruption seals worked dropped his stick and blurred through a chain of hand signs. The **Wind Style: Wind Bullets** hit true and not only tore through Jugo but pushed him back toward Kin. Any further action against Jugo was halted as Naruto somersaulted away from an impending arrow. Naruto retaliated with a projectile of his own as he jumped toward Kidomaru.

Swiftly, the archer felt the oddest feeling as he was yanked closer to the Uzumaki, Naruto taking the opening to throw several senbon at his spider themed nemesis. Each hit true but missed any vital point. Soon the secondary reaction of the clapback seal happened and both were flung away from each other, just in time for the senbon to explode. Naruto managed to land on a tree trunk feet first.

 **CRACK!**

A cacophony of pain described Naruto's reality as he fell haplessly to the ground. Soon he left the ground by not by his own power as another fist made its home in his gut, forcing blood from his mouth and he was batted away with ease. Concussed and hurting a poorly performed shunshin to an elevated branch gave him the briefest respite. He saw the boy he assumed dying was now transformed again and the girl was lying deathly still.

Jugo continued his assault. While healed, it was not at full strength so with the element of surprise gone Naruto was better able to defend himself. He was still absorbing blows, still on the backfoot as the fogginess had yet to truly fade.

" _We're clear_ ," Naruto heard and gritted his teeth. He couldn't waste anymore time with underlings. He jumped off a branch, slowly, knowing Jugo would catch him. Naruto accepted the next blow, even as he blocked it, as it rocketed him down to the ground. He landed on all fours but wasted no time performing a series of hand seals. As Jugo landed he felt himself sink in a mudpit he couldn't extricate himself from. The harder he fought the more he sank.

Naruto, seeing the **Earth Style: Swamp of the Underworld** , worked ran through more hand signs before inhaling a large amount of air.

' **Fire Style: Flame Bullet** ,' the Uzumaki thought having created the large mass of flames that roasted the orange haired ninja in front of him. The fire soon died. The only evidence of its existence being the scorched earth, trees, and ninja left behind. The boy wasn't dead but severely burned, clothing and hair all gone. Naruto wouldn't take a chance, however, of the boy healing again. He walked calmly toward him, chakra scalpel activated on a single hand. One swipe is all it took and whatever time Jugo had with living was put to an end. Naruto took some deep breaths. He was healing without aid of medical ninjutsu and he hoped it would be enough. The truly hard part was about to begin.

Naruto looked up when he heard a series of claps. His primary target was smiling down at him. Naruto wondered if it was just an act or if the man was actually amused several of his ninja had been killed. He didn't understand how a student of his Oji-san could be so wrong. He cut off his thoughts when the man began to speak.

"How does it feel, Naruto-kun?" Naruto squinted at the man not understanding why he'd ask such a thing.

"You don't know? Ok, what's your process? Why did you target Dosu-kun first? Which of your works would you consider to be your best to date?"

Naruto was growing increasingly confused by these questions. "My best works? I'm not an artist." It was unlike him to banter with an enemy but even cleared of the bare minimum distance, giving Gammashiro and 'Shira more time wouldn't hurt.

"Anything can be art, Naruto-kun. You paint with ink and blood much like Minato-kun. So, tell me, how do you feel about killing these nine individuals?"

"It was necessary," Naruto answered.

"That's not an emotion."

"I felt it was necessary."

"Kukuku, so there is some wit under that ice. That's a start. It seems getting you to truly enjoy your gift will be the hardest part of our time together. Life will be incredibly dull without some emotional content, Naruto-kun."

Naruto, having had enough of the weird man's games got down to business. He retrieved a sealing tag from his vest and spoke to the Sannin. "Orochimaru formerly of the Densetsu no Sannin and Jounin of Konoha; you are wanted for high crimes and are to submit yourself to my custody."

"Oh, and if I don't?" Orochimaru said as he took great amusement from Naruto-kun's spiel.

"Refusal to cooperate will result in death."

Far from being offended, Orochimaru appreciated his future student's moxie. It figured he needed to demonstrate why he was the master and Naruto-kun the apprentice. It'd also give him a chance to beat some of the willfulness out of him, at least as it applied to the Sannin. He smiled widely as he said, "Then I refuse."

Naruto bit his thumb and smeared blood on the tag. Five hand signs later and Orochimaru watched as he was surrounded by hundreds, if not thousands of paper tags containing arrays he'd never seen. The tags seemed to form a barrier as even above him they formed a dome. He briefly thought this might be more interesting than he thought.

Naruto panted just a little. His **Paper Barrier: Shinigami's Embrace** was quite chakra intensive but it was necessary. The Uzumaki stood to his full height as the paper tags circled. He rose his open hand to the air and then made a fist. As if summoned to him, Orochimaru felt several tags nearly adhere to his skin resulting in an explosion. No blood, just wood, informd Naruto the Sannin had managed to replace himself. He saw the Sannin return, atop another tree but he didn't seem so amused now.

Orochimaru was busy trying to decipher how those tags got to him so fast. He couldn't understand the technique but he also couldn't endure it in order to do so. It seemed the Uzumaki was truly intent on ending his life. He still had no issue with it. He'd show his student what a deathmatch truly looked like and why he had years before he could hope to defeat someone of the Snake Sannin's calibre.

Naruto rose his hand again, Orochimaru started performing hand signs and an explosion was heard. The Gentleman Pervert vs. the Legendary Traitor was about to begin.

* * *

 **Oh my, looks like someone is in a bit of a pickle but is it our favorite Gentleman Pervert or the Dastardly Snake? I guess we'll find out in the new year.**

 **Yea, this is the final** _ **Seals**_ **chapter for the year but we are leaving 2019 on a bright note… I hope.**

 **I know some of you didn't like the twist of Orochimaru infiltrating the exams. I will explain how he managed it somewhat but this is fiction, not an insurance claim. Sometimes things just happen because and that's going to have to be ok.**

 **Finally, as the posting of this chapter we are just a few thousand views from 1 million! Holy shit, I remember when I thought 100,000 was a big deal (it still is so imagine how I feel about this!). I want to thank you guys and gals and peeps who don't identify as a guy or a gal. This is by far my most popular fic but I give it the same effort I do all my others. That you continue to enjoy it really does mean something to this simple fanfic author.**

 **Happy New Year!**


	18. Chapter 18

Orochimaru didn't have time to see if his jutsu connected, as soon as his feet touched ground he was surrounded by more exploding tags. A swift replacement saved him as the explosion shook the trees down to their roots. His genius mind was occupied with dissecting the jutsu. Every technique had a flaw or a limitation, something that could be exploited. As more explosive tags appeared around him he devised a test while avoiding the next volley of explosions.

A mud clone was sent in an opposite direction and just as he expected, tags appeared around the both of them. The tags could track him by chakra signature he concluded as he replaced himself with a log, the bombs rendering it to splinters. The Sannin kept moving. The blasts were powerful but avoidable as well, the blast radius of three and a half to four meters.

Those were some of the strengths but he knew he'd have to press things to discover a weakness, though he suspected there was an obvious one to exploit. He found Naruto and made a beeline for his future student at a moderate, for him, pace. The tags continued to attempt to surround him but he out sped them. 'Good,' he thought, he had the timing down. He noticed they stopped once he was within the blast radius of Naruto. The tags lazily surrounded the two ninja and it was as he suspected, the Uzumaki left a safe zone for himself. It was smart but exploitable.

Orochimaru would soon discover he was wrong as only a brief glow alerted him, prompting an instinctual shunshin away as the tags detonated, the radius twice what it was previously. The Sannin could smell the scorched earth and feel the heat of the explosion but didn't see Naruto. He had no time to ponder his whereabouts as he ably dodged a staff strike.

'Shadow clone,' Orochimaru suspected. Not just the one he was fighting but the one in the explosion and Orochimaru reasoned the barrier had a way to distinguish between the real him and clones. With practiced ease, he dodged the attacks of the clone, keeping an eye out for any tags. When none appeared he rethought his earlier assumption about this being a clone. He smiled at the confidence of the boy, thinking he could attack a shinobi of Orochimaru's caliber with a neat trick and a stick.

He moved right as he felt the ground tremor, not missing a step as it broke apart leaving deep crevices in its wake. The barrage of subterranean wind bullets was child's play to evade. Decent attempts, good enough to get a Chunin but the tactics were a mere trifle for the Sannin. At a speed he assumed the Uzumaki couldn't track, Orochimaru appeared before his target, fist barreling toward him. But even as he attacked he noticed the paper tags, further away than they had been, glowing. His fist connected and a puff of smoke was the result. Not a moment later a significantly larger explosion occurred, destroying even more of the notorious forest.

When the smoke cleared the Sannin rose from the ground, having had just enough time to sink beneath it for shelter. He now had even more information as it appeared the proximity of the tags affected the area of effect or blast radius. He still assumed the tags would not detonate near the real Naruto but the boy was clearly proficient with the Shadow Clone Jutsu, so over committing to an attack would be foolish and detrimental to his health.

'Kukuku,' he laughed internally. The barrier was not just destructive but an effective method of psychological warfare. Move wrong and you get blown up, pursue the wrong Naruto and get blown up but stay still and you get blown up. It encouraged paralysis by analysis, by appearing to have no good options the victim would be stuck. It was very snake-like and Orochimaru could appreciate it but he needed to find the real Naruto.

Before another trap could appear, Orochimaru got prone and opened his mouth wide, unleashing thousands upon thousands of snake summons. The **Formation of Ten Thousand Snakes** was true to its name as the serpents flooded the area. Orochimaru moved as well, not wanting more tags to appear but he kept his senses sharp. It didn't take long for the tags to encircle the snakes in sections, dealing death by the hundreds. But Orochimaru noticed that some were managing to avoid their demise in one particular place. He sped over, performing the hand signs for the **Wind Style: Great Breakthrough** , sending the concentrated gust of wind to the area he smiled when his target's cloaking jutsu dropped as he was hurled through the air.

The downside was, as Naruto was moving the barrier targeted the rest of his snakes, incinerating them but the summons had fulfilled their purpose. Unwilling to allow him to hide again, Orochimaru extended his tongue, it wrapped around Naruto's ankle and slammed the boy down on the ground, hard enough to crack the forest floor. Giving him no chance to recover, Orochimaru lifted the Uzumaki with a kick to the ribs, mercilessly punching the midair genin in the face hard enough to fling him back.

He whipped his tongue out again, planning to give Naruto no respite and no distance, his technique backfired when Naruto's Chakra Scalpel sliced through his tongue, causing his hold to drop and for the Uzumaki to charge toward him, staff in hand. Orochimaru dipped and dodged as the two engaged in acrobatics, the younger combatant unable to match the more experienced man.

'There is promise here, Sensei trained him well,' Orochimaru thought. He had no love for the staff but could see how the boy could, even for a brief period, match Kimimaro. Flipping over a leg strike, transitioning into a duck and corkscrewing over a third attack, Orochimaru called forth the Kusanagi. Pulling it from his mouth and performing a slash in a single motion, Naruto blocked the attack but was nearly taken off his feet due to the power of the blow.

It was Orochimaru's turn to be on the offensive, gradually increasing the speed with each strike he forced Naruto to go from blocks to evasions but he was receiving cuts in the process. The Sannin was picking the Uzumaki apart as more and more cuts started to emerge. Not satisfied with mere nicks, Orochimaru thrust his blade at Naruto's left clavicle but was shocked when the Uzumaki's protective vest didn't allow the sword to penetrate.

Taking advantage of his small window, Naruto hit the sword upward, splitting the staff into escrima sticks as he did. He quickly hit Orochimaru's wrist, the shock of the chakra disruption seal causing the Sannin to drop his legendary weapon but Naruto was not done. Two hits; one to the knee and the other to the ribs kept the Sannin stunned. Naruto flowed into a jab, activating the high powered shock seal at the end of the stick.

Orochimaru was treated to thousands of volts of electricity before being impaled by a **Rasengan** , or that had been the plan. Defying modern medicine, the Sannin powered through the electric shock and grabbed Naruto's wrist before the pinnacle of shape manipulation could hit him. Tossing the jutsu wielding arm to the side, Orochimaru hit Naruto with a back fist, drawing blood from his nose. With the same hand, he nailed the genin with a cross that sent him skidding across the ground, only being stopped by a tree, but even it groaned at the force of the contact.

Orochimaru was on top of the boy as soon as he saw him pull out two of the same type of bead that froze Suigetsu. He had a wrist in each hand, squeezing hard enough to crack bone. Soon, the pain became too much as the Uzumaki tossed each bead to either side of the two but not content to have his arms pulverized, he jumped and performed a dropkick, forcing Orochimaru to release him. The Sannin was set on attacking once more but stopped when he saw the Uzumaki close his hand in a similar fashion to when he first created the barrier and instantly a line of tags appeared between them. Orochimaru had no time to react as both absorbed the blast.

By any objective viewing, Naruto's last attack netted him, at best, a pyrrhic victory. His flak vest had been pushed past its limit, giving into the blast. Naruto had burns across his chest and soft tissue damage. Some tree shards got him as well, a large one in his right arm. His ears were ringing and he could hear nothing over it. Not only was moving near impossible due to the explosion but, he figured, Orochimaru's sword was coated with a poison that his natural healing factor must have delayed the effects until now.

As he catalogued his injuries, Naruto activated his projection seal. '50% complete, nothing can stop it now. Primary objectives: Rescue Anko; complete. Neutralize Orochimaru; complete. Secondary objectives: Suppress Spread of Heritage; still in process.' Just as Naruto activated his communicator seal, he felt a foot press into him. The pressure was tremendous, the Sannin nearly breaking his ribs with just a step.

"Kukuku, that was an excellent display, Naruto-kun. Your potential is vast and together we will do great things," Orochimaru said. He was shocked the Uzumaki had forced him to use his special kind of replacement to heal from the damage of the explosion but there were no more tricks, no more tactics or stratagems. This was it. He leaned down to grab his new student but couldn't know he was incorrect. Naruto had one last trick as the boy disappeared without a trace.

Orochimaru didn't have time to yell in frustration, the glow of every tag of the barrier simultaneously alerting him to danger. Quickly he summoned the largest, non-Manda, snake he could and hopped inside. But not even the massive snake could absorb the bomb. The impact was so great, it gave off a brilliant white light, shook the entire forest and destroyed everything in its wake. Even Orochimaru was missing his lower body and an arm. Maimed and grotesque, Orochimaru pulled himself from the charred remains of his summons, appearing to be on death's door. Unfortunately, he was able to perform his replacement jutsu and as he slithered once more, the Snake Sannin was perfectly healed again.

He was, however, livid. It was one thing to have a willful prey but to be deprived of what he wanted, almost nothing angered the Sannin more. Worst still, if Naruto hadn't alerted any that blast certainly had to. The Sannin was left with a decision, none of them good. He could retreat now but making a future attempt to grab Naruto would be extremely difficult. The Akatsuki were already moving on his bases so he'd have to go underground to avoid them. There was also no way his sensei would let Naruto out of the village with anyone other than Jiraiya and for how very little respect he had for toad, his former teammate was powerful. Naruto-kun and him working together would be too much for the snake summoner. His best bet was to make another attempt in the forest.

Decision made, Orochimaru was set to track the Uzumaki but was stalled by a new sensation. A burning in his chakra core. Like blades of lava that had impaled him. He couldn't move. While his core was molten, the rest of him felt so cold. His muscles were cramping, his chakra was running haywire. The lava blades seem to increase in heat, creating an unbearable pressure in his torso. He felt like he was going to explode. Instead, he was lifted off the ground as the pressure was alleviated by the emergence of several black chakra chains, each attached to a midair seal.

The Sannin was in agony and confused as to what, when and how. What was this seal? When had it been placed upon him? How did it work? He may not have ever gotten to know what it was or when it was placed on him but he soon got an inkling of how it worked and for the first time in years, the Sannin was afraid.

As each black chain dissolved, Orochimaru felt different, The pain subsided but he was too smart to take that as a good sign. Not until he got vague memories not of Tayuya and Kimmimaro, but from them did he realize what was happening. The pieces of himself he left in the cursed seals, they were being pulled back into him. He only got memories from two as they were the only active users, the rest kept in reserve and sedated just in case.

It meant that for the first time in a long time, he was mortal. He watched in silent horror as the last chain dissolved and felt a twisting of chakra on his neck. He fell to the ground in a heap. He still couldn't move, his chakra flow was too erratic to even attempt to control. He could only sit seiza, head bowed. To complete his humiliation, this submissive position was how Hiruzen and Danzo found him. He couldn't see them but he could sense them.

"Where is Naruto-kun?" his sensei asked, doing a poor attempt at hiding his fury.

"I gobbled him up, Sarutobi-sensei," Orochimaru joked. He could not have been in a more vulnerable position but he'd never cower to a Leaf Ninja. If possible, Hiruzen felt his anger spike. Not seeing Naruto amongst the devastation was too inconclusive to be comforting or worrying. He needed to find his grandson and even with several ANBU on the case it was near impossible to not panic.

"That means you don't know so I have no use for you," Hiruzen said and then started a sequence of hand signs, only to be stopped by Danzo. Not even his murderous glare backed off the former head of Root.

"Your former student is a treasure trove of useful information. He is worth more alive, HIruzen."

"I made the mistake of sparing him once, I won't do it again." He thought Danzo had lost the best part of his mind. Sparing Orochimaru was one of the biggest mistakes of his life, he wouldn't do it again.

"Then you weaken the village once more," Danzo growled. He had no time to hold HIruzen's hand over the matter. There was no one more entrenched in the true darkness of the shinobi nations like Orochimaru and the man had much needed intel. "Act like the Hokage and not a grandfather." The two aged shinobi stared at each other, a lengthy discussion happening with just a look but Danzo would win the day.

"Fine," Hiruzen relented. "You have one change to prolong your life, Orochimaru. Stall, misdirect, or lie and I will burn you alive." Hiruzen warned then nodded to the bird masked ANBU and the man knocked the Sannin out with the handle on his tanto. He along with Boar shunshin'd away as Neko approached the Hokage.

"No Naruto, Hokage-sama but I did retrieve this," she said holding the Kusanagi. "What would you like me to do with it?"

"Well, Neko-chan, you wanted something to teach Naruto and it appears he has quite the spoil. When we find him he goes into protective custody which you will head," Hiruzen answered. The purple haired ANBU nodded and was set to depart before she heard a voice over the communicator seal.

"Tiger found him, Hokage-sama. He's with Anko and two summons."

"Lead the way, Neko," Hiruzen ordered and the trio departed with due haste.

* * *

"What the shit?" Anko exclaimed and then winced. Her sensei had worked her over pretty thoroughly and even with the gaki healing her, she was still experiencing some discomfort. Her shout could be understood, though, as she'd just watched a dome of paper tags appear from nowhere.

"You must remain still, Anko-chan," Clone gaki lightly admonished as he tended to the slight fracture in her leg.

"Yea, yea, but can you tell me what that is?" she asked as she pointed to the barrier.

"A sign that all is going according to plan," was all the clone would say even as she gave him her best pout. Anko got increasingly worried as she heard the sound of explosions, it reached a new level once the explosions ceased. However, it was the sight of a badly burned, bleeding and beaten Naruto suddenly appearing by the clone that made her heart stop.

The clone stopped working on her, having already seen to the most significant injuries, and turned the real Naruto away from her. She heard more than saw the blond vomit briefly. And if that weren't enough, felt the forest floor shake and felt a wave of heat from a massive explosion.

The clone, ignoring the final effects of the paper barrier, retrieved a water bottle and cleaned off the original while another clone, one that had been guarding the perimeter, used an earth jutsu to bury the sick. The two clones then got to work on healing the original, which left Anko confused. If the original was unconscious, as he appeared to be, then why hadn't they dispelled? She didn't ask, however, as she didn't want to distract them.

She winced as she got to her feet, pulling a kunai. The two toads, also weapons ready, joined her. All three had felt someone approaching and none dropped their guard when they saw it was an ANBU, especially not after Anko had been tricked before. The agent signed a secret code to Anko but even that didn't allow her to drop her guard. The ANBU didn't move any closer and simply waited. Moments later, the Sandaime arrived and Anko felt the deepest sense of relief at having her leader present.

"Stand down, Anko-chan," the Hokage ordered in a light tone, it was decidedly unrepresentative of his current emotional state. "And you two may dispel, please give my regards to Gamabunta," the Hokage said, acknowledging the summons.

"Sorry, we leave when we run out of chakra or our summoner requests it," Gamashiro said. He meant no disrespect but the Hokage had no authority over them. The Hokage nodded.

"You two can return home. Thank you for your aid," one of the clones said but never took his eyes off his work, repairing the damage of his duel with Orochimaru.

"Of course kid, just remember that Gamabunta-sama is going to want a word," Gamashira said before she and her brother departed.

"Naruto-kun, is the original ok to move?" Hiruzen asked. It hurt seeing his grandson in such a state. His turmoil was multiplied by it being due to the traitor Hiruzen had allowed to flee, having been soft hearted when he should have been firm.

"I can place some stability seals on him so nothing will jostle during transport and then he can be carried," the clone answered.

"Do that and then send a message to the rest of your clones to dispel. I'm sorry to say but your participation in the exams ends now."

"It would be inadvisable for my clones to dispel now," the clone cautioned as he applied the stability seals via chakra.

"While this is necessary, why do you think it is inadvisable, Naruto-kun?"

"Orochimaru gave every team a scroll that stated I am the son of Minato Namikaze. The clones are preventing the intel from leaving the forest."

Hiruzen was dismayed. Not only at the long buried secret getting out but the burden his grandson took upon himself. "It's fine, Naruto-kun. It is long past time for you to be openly acknowledged for who you are. Dispel them and get ready to travel." The clone obeyed and while in pain, it was Anko who picked the blond up. Tiger shunshin'd away with the shadow clones.

"He's so small, Hokage-sama," Anko said. She knew he was short but after the removal of the cursed seal and the few times they got to hang out it's like she forgot. Forgot he was twelve, a boy. A boy that saved her. Freed her. She was as thankful as she was guilty that a boy half her age came to her rescue because she could do nothing against her traitorous sensei.

The Hokage could understand her response as it was hard to not see the small boy he met over a campfire and regalled with legends about the stars as they ate grilled fish. "We must leave for the tower, Anko-chan. There is much to be done."

"When you go after my sensei, I want in. I don't care what it takes, I'll kill him," she promised but felt deflated when the Hokage shook his head.

"I'm afraid that won't be possible, my dear. The boy you hold in your very arms did something this old man could not. Orochimaru is in custody, defeated by a genin. Now, to the tower," he said and she obeyed, even in shock at the news it couldn't overwhelm her discipline. Besides, there would be time to process everything later.

When Hiruzen arrived at the tower, all alerted Konoha ninja were at the ready as they understood their leader would suffer no fools. Anko was right behind him, heading toward the medical center. Danzo had arrived before Hiruzen and was waiting with Kakashi, the Copy Ninja having not been told anything but his presence was needed. Standing at attention in the makeshift office when Hiruzen entered, Kakashi was quickly becoming concerned about what could have prompted Danzo to summon him on behalf of the Hokage.

"Kakashi, I won't mince words with you; Orochimaru infiltrated the exam and revealed Naruto-kun's heritage to each participating team."

"All foreign Jounin will be dead within the hour, Hokage-sama," Kakashi said with an eye smile and then turned to leave.

"Stop, Kakashi. The order I gave you on October 11, nearly thirteen years ago is rescinded. The world will know of Minato and Kushina's son. I did not summon you for that."

"Forgive my presumption, Hokage-sama," Kakashi apologized. Hiruzen waved him off.

"It's fine. The reason I brought you here is that Orochimaru was not just content with spreading the information about Naruto, he abducted Anko and challenged Naruto to retrieve her."

"No," Kakashi said. He knew his chibi, knew he'd march right into a trap because Hatake-sensei told him to not do so would make him less than trash. "Is.. is he ok?"

"He is injured, I will not lie to you. It was bad but he will survive. More importantly; Kakashi, he won."

"I'm sorry?" Kakashi said, not understanding the Hokage.

"He defeated my student. I haven't debriefed him yet, he's in the medical center but Orochimaru is heavily sedated in ANBU lockup thanks to your student. I want you guarding him until your other students arrive but mention nothing of what has happened."

"You believe Orochimaru had help?"

"Yes. Now, I believe much will be revealed in short order but for now, watch over Naruto-kun and if anything arouses your suspicion, kill whoever has done so. Type I errors are permitted," the Hokage advised grimly and Kakashi departed without a word, recalling the last time the Hokage said those words. It was in protection of Naruto that time, as well.

A few hours passed and Hiruzen's belief proved true, much was revealed. The Chunin proctors, according to the several Yamanaka that scanned them, all had several hours missing. Inoichi said it was not a defensive measure but a sign of a deep hypnosis. While Hiruzen wouldn't discount the possibility of Orochimaru having such a technique, it was also possible he'd had aid from a third party as a pair of gate guards had similar symptoms.

When Hiruzen finally debriefed the shadow clone of Naruto-kun, he was both proud and dismayed at the boy's trial within the forest. He praised the clone for managing to save Anko and subdue Orochimaru but criticised him for not waiting, especially as the clone admitted the original thought it was a trap and Anko was already dead. Still, the pride won out and he couldn't be too hard on his grandson. Minato had left the village without permission, tracked and defeated three Kumo Jounin to save Kushina. The son took after the father in more ways than one.

He was now sitting across from Baki. The Suna Jounin's team had arrived much earlier than any other team, the next closest was Team 8 and that was only recently. Hiruzen had a neutral look on his face and could see Baki was attempting to appear neutral himself but the Hokage's aged eyes could see the stress and trepidation in the man's body language. Normally, he'd be the cat to the outmatched Jounin's mouse but he was in no mood.

His chakra was unsettled, mimicking his true feelings. It felt that even his very blood demanded a sacrifice to his rage, for someone or ones to be fed to his righteous fire for daring to harm his grandson. But he'd remain calm for now. Calm is what his position demanded of him. Calm would get results.

"So, Baki-san," the Hokage started before taking a pause. "Tell me why I shouldn't murder your team and you before throwing your corpses in a mass grave?" Danzo, who was in the room, just facepalmed knowing his former teammate likely thought he was being calm and collected. He resigned himself to his new position of trying his best to keep Hiruzen from convincing himself all of Suna needed to burn for daring to harm his grandson. He realized that this was likely karmic retribution for all the times he hadn't listened to Hiruzen and had been wrong not to. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

 **Yo, been awhile, I know. I have reasons but eh, whatever. I'm not abandoning this story but is the hardest one for me to write so sometimes I get stuck and things are delayed. Not too much to be done about it. But I hope the wait was worth it. And as you can see, I'm diverting from my own challenge criteria cuz… it just be like that sometimes.**


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